Highest fusion performance without harmful edge energy bursts in tokamak

The path of tokamak fusion and International thermonuclear experimental reactor (ITER) is maintaining high-performance plasma to produce sufficient fusion power. This effort is hindered by the transient energy burst arising from the instabilities at the boundary of plasmas. Conventional 3D magnetic perturbations used to suppress these instabilities often degrade fusion performance and increase the risk of other instabilities. This study presents an innovative 3D field optimization approach that leverages machine learning and real-time adaptability to overcome these challenges. Implemented in the DIII-D and KSTAR tokamaks, this method has consistently achieved reactor-relevant core confinement and the highest fusion performance without triggering damaging bursts. This is enabled by advances in the physics understanding of self-organized transport in the plasma edge and machine learning techniques to optimize the 3D field spectrum. The success of automated, real-time adaptive control of such complex systems paves the way for maximizing fusion efficiency in ITER and beyond while minimizing damage to device components.

[Clinical characteristics and prognosis of primary aldosteronism associated with subclinical Cushing syndrome]

Objective: To analyze the clinical characteristics and prognosis of patients with primary aldosteronism (PA) associated with subclinical Cushing syndrome (SCS). Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University in China. Patients with PA were included between January 2014 and December 2022. According to the results of 1-mg overnight dexamethasone suppression test, the patients were divided into the PA group and PA associated with SCS (PA/SCS) group. The demographic information, hormone levels, and follow-up results were analyzed. Independent sample t-test, chi-square test and Mann-Whitney U test were used for data comparison. Results: A total of 489 PA patients were enrolled in this study, of which 109 had PA/SCS (22.3%). Patients with SCS were on average older (54.4±10.7 vs. 47.4±11.0, P<0.001); had a larger proportion of women (69.7%, 76/109 vs. 57.4%, 218/380; P=0.020); and a longer duration of hypertension [96 (36, 180) vs. 60 (12, 120) months, P=0.001] than patients without SCS. There were 215 and 51 patients in the PA group and PA/SCS group, who completed adrenalectomy and follow-up, respectively. The remission rate of autonomous cortisol secretion in the PA/SCS group was 85.3% (29/34). There was no significant difference in the remission rate of autonomous aldosterone secretion among patients between the PA/SCS and PA group (94.1%, 48/51 vs. 94.4%, 203/215; P=1.000), while the clinical remission rate in the PA/SCS group was lower than that in the PA group (39.2%, 20/51 vs. 61.9%, 133/215; P=0.003). Conclusions: SCS is common in PA patients (22.3%), and the clinical remission rate is low. Screening using the 1-mg overnight dexamethasone suppression test is recommended for all patients with PA.

[Study of appropriate cut-off for diagnosis of primary aldosteronism by seated saline suppression test based on liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry]

Objective: To investigate the appropriate cut-off for diagnosis of primary aldosteronism (PA) by seated saline suppression test (SSST) based on liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Methods: In this cross-sectional study, patients who underwent SSST for suspected PA in the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from January 2018 to March 2022 were evaluated. Briefly, 300 patients with PA and 119 with essential hypertension (EH) were included. Plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC) after SSST was determined by LC-MS/MS. Primary aldosteronism confirmatory testing (PACT) score was used as the reference standard for diagnosis of PA, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to explore the cut-off value. Results: The average age of the PA group was (50.8±10.5) years, and males accounted for 53.00% (n=159); the average age of the EH group was (49.4±11.2) years, and males accounted for 26.89% (n=32). The area under the ROC curve of PAC post-SSST was 0.819 (95%CI 0.775-0.862). When 40 pg/ml (110.8 pmol/L) was selected as the appropriate cut-off for diagnosis of PA, the sensitivity was 83.67% (95%CI 78.88%-87.56%) and specificity was 60.50% (95%CI 51.10%-69.21%). Thus, 95.09% (155/163) of patients with unilateral PA could be identified. Conclusion: PAC after SSST determined by LC-MS/MS has high efficacy for diagnosis of PA, and 40 pg/ml is recommended as the appropriate cut-off value.

[Distribution characteristics of plasma renin concentration in patients with aldosterone-producing adenoma]

Objective: To analyze the distribution characteristics of plasma renin concentration (PRC) in patients with aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA) and its impact on diagnosis. Methods: In this retrospective case series, clinical data from 200 patients with APA (80 men and 120 women; mean age 45.6 years) in the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from November 2013 to January 2022 were evaluated. PRC was determined by automated chemiluminescence immunoassay. The distribution characteristics of PRC were analyzed, and 8.2 mU/L was used as the low renin cutoff to evaluate whether renin was suppressed. Results: The median PRC was 1.6 mU/L (range, 0.4-41.5 mU/L). There were 116 patients with APA with PRC of ≤2 mU/L, 41 patients with 2<PRC≤4 mU/L. PRC was not suppressed (PRC>8.2 mU/L) in 8.0% (16/200) of the patients with APA. And PRC was not suppressed in 2.5% (5/200) of the patients with APA, resulting in a primary aldosteronism negative screening outcome. Conclusions: Although most patients with APA have low PRC, there are a small number (8%) of patients whose PRC has not been fully suppressed, which can lead to missed diagnoses during primary aldosteronism screening. While primary aldosteronism is highly suspected, further investigations are required to determine the diagnosis, even if PRC is not fully suppressed at screening.

[Differential diagnosis and surgical management in chondrosarcoma of the jugular foramen]

Objective: To explore the diagnosis, surgical management and outcome of jugular foramen chondrosarcoma (CSA). Methods: Fifteen patients with jugular foramen CSA hospitalized in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery of Chinese PLA General Hospital from December 2002 to February 2020 were retrospectively collected,of whom 2 were male and 13 were female, aging from 22 to 61 years old. The clinical symptoms and signs, imaging features, differential diagnosis, surgical approaches, function of facial nerve and cranial nerves IX to XII, and surgical outcomes were analyzed. Results: Patients with jugular foramen CSA mainly presented with facial paralysis, hearing loss, hoarseness, cough, tinnitus and local mass. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) could provide important information for diagnosis. CT showed irregular destruction on bone margin of the jugular foramen. MR demonstrated iso or hypointense on T1WI, hyperintense on T2WI and heterogeneous contrast-enhancement. Surgical approaches were chosen upon the sizes and scopes of the tumors. Inferior temporal fossa A approach was adopted in 12 cases, inferior temporal fossa B approach in 2 cases and mastoid combined parotid approach in 1 case. Five patients with facial nerve involved received great auricular nerve graft. The House Brackmann (H-B) grading scale was used to evaluate the facial nerve function. Preoperative facial nerve function ranked grade Ⅴ in 4 cases and grade Ⅵ in 1 case. Postoperative facial nerve function improved to grade Ⅲ in 2 cases and grade Ⅵ in 3 cases. Five patients presented with cranial nerves Ⅸ and Ⅹ palsies. Hoarseness and cough of 2 cases improved after operation, while the other 3 cases did not. All the patients were diagnosed CSA by histopathology and immunohistochemistry, with immunohistochemical staining showing vimentin and S-100 positive, but cytokeratin negative in tumor cells. All patients survived during 28 to 234 months' follow-up. Two patients suffered from tumor recurrence 7 years after surgery and received revision surgery. No complications such as cerebrospinal fluid leakage and intracranial infection occurred after operation. Conclusions: Jugular foramen CSA lacks characteristic symptoms or signs. Imaging is helpful to differential diagnosis. Surgery is the primary treatment of jugular foramen CSA. Patients with facial paralysis should receive surgery in time as to restore the facial nerve. Long-term follow-up is necessary after surgery in case of recurrence.

[Establishment and validation of a nomogram-based predictive model for idiopathic aldosteronism]

Objective: To establish and validate a nomogram-based predictive model for idiopathic hyperaldosteronism (IHA). Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted with the collected clinical and biochemical data of patients with primary aldosteronism (PA) including 249 patients with unilateral primary aldosteronism (UPA) and 107 patients with IHA, who were treated at the Department of Endocrinology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from November 2013 to November 2022. Plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC) and plasma renin concentration (PRC) were measured by chemiluminescence. Stepwise regression analysis was applied to select the key predictors of IHA, and a nomogram-based scoring model was developed. The model was validated in another external independent cohort of patients with PA including 62 patients with UPA and 43 patients with IHA, who were diagnosed at the Department of Endocrinology, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. An independent-sample t test, Mann-Whitney U test, and χ² test were used for statistical analysis. Results: In the training cohort, in comparison with the UPA group, the IHA group showed a higher serum potassium level [M(Q₁, Q₃), 3.4 (3.1, 3.8) mmol/L vs. 2.7 (2.1, 3.1) mmol/L] and higher PRC [4.0 (2.1, 8.2) mU/L vs. 1.5 (0.6, 3.4) mU/L] and a lower PAC post-saline infusion test (SIT) [305 (222, 416) pmol/L vs. 720 (443, 1 136) pmol/L] and a lower rate of unilateral adrenal nodules [33.6% (36/107) vs. 81.1% (202/249)]; the intergroup differences in these measurements were statistically significant (all P<0.001). Serum potassium level, PRC, PAC post-SIT, and the rate of unilateral adrenal nodules showed similar performance in the IHA group in the validation cohort. After stepwise regression analysis for all significant variables in the training cohort, a scoring model based on a nomogram was constructed, and the predictive parameters included the rate of unilateral adrenal nodules, serum potassium concentration, PAC post-SIT, and PRC in the standing position. When the total score was ≥14, the model showed a sensitivity of 0.65 and specificity of 0.90 in the training cohort and a sensitivity of 0.56 and specificity of 1.00 in the validation cohort. Conclusion: The nomogram was used to successfully develop a model for prediction of IHA that could facilitate selection of patients with IHA who required medication directly.

[Paratesticular liposarcoma: the clinicopathological features of nineteen cases]

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features and differential diagnoses of paratesticular liposarcoma. Methods: The cases were collected from 2012-2020, from the archives of the Department of Pathology, Peking University Third Hospital, with diagnosis confirmed by histology, immunostaining and FISH tests. Results: Totally 19 patients were enrolled (including 11 in-hospital patients and 8 consultant cases). The patients aged 37-84 years (mean 57 years). The preoperative clinical diagnoses were spermatic cord/inguinal masses (nine patients), scrotal masses (seven patients), and inguinal hernia (three patients). Six lesions recurred after local resection, including one case extending from pelvic liposarcoma. Histologically, there were 10 cases of well-differentiated liposarcoma (WDLPS) and nine cases of dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DDLPS). WDLPSs mostly showed the combined features of lipoma-like, inflammatory and sclerosing subtypes (six patients); the other four WDLPSs had pure lipoma-like subtype features. DDLPSs were low-grade (three patients) or high-grade (six patients), with the morphology resembling myxofibrosarcoma, inflammatory myofibroblastoma, spindle cell sarcoma, pleomorphic undifferentiated sarcoma and pleomorphic liposarcoma. Intense inflammatory cells infiltration was commonly observed in five WDLPSs and two DDLPSs. Ossification was observed in three tumors. Immunohistochemically, the tumors were positive for MDM2 (8/10) and CDK4 (10/10), which were expressed in lipo-differentiating cells, spindle cells in WDLPS, and in dediffferentiated components. S-100 was only expressed by lipocytes (10/10). CD34 expression was positive and diffuse in the stromal cells of WDLPSs and focal or diffuse in dedifferentiated areas (10/10). FISH tests with an MDM2 gene probe were positive (12/12). Conclusions: Paratesticular liposarcoma may be overlooked by both clinicians and pathologists. WDLPS and DDLPS predominate, showing various histologic divergences. The presence of amplification of the 12q14-q15 region (containing the MDM2 and CDK4 genes) is helpful for making the correct diagnosis.

[Re-evaluation of the diagnostic value and optimal cutoff point of captopril challenge test in diagnosis of primary aldosteronism]

Objective: The aim of the present study was to re-evaluate the diagnostic value and optimal cutoff point of captopril challenge test (CCT) in diagnosis of primary aldosteronism (PA). Methods: This is a retrospective study. All patients with a high risk for PA underwent screening test, and then proceeded to CCT and fludrocortisone suppression test (FST) on different days. The FST was used as a reference standard for PA. The plasma renin concentration (PRC) and plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC) were measured with an automated chemiluminescence immunoassay. Random number method was performed in the patients with unilateral primary aldosteronism (UPA), in order to make the proportion of the analyzed UPA in PA was 35%. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were performed to compare diagnostic accuracy. Results: A total of 543 patients with 400 PA patients and 143 essential hypertension (EH) patients were enrolled. The diagnostic value of post-CCT PAC was significantly higher than that of the post-CCT plasma aldosterone-renin ratio (ARR), and that of the PAC suppression percentage, respectively. The area under the ROC curve (AUC_ROC) was 0.86 (0.83, 0.89) for PAC, 0.78 (0.74, 0.82) for ARR, and 0.62 (0.56, 0.67) for the PAC suppression percentage (all P<0.01), respectively. The optimal cutoff point of post-CCT PAC for PA was 110 ng/L, in which the sensitivity and specificity were 73.25% and 79.02%, respectively. The diagnostic efficiency of post-CCT PAC was not improved either in combination with PAC suppression percentage or in combination with post-CCT ARR. Conclusions: CCT is a useful test for the confirmation of PA. PAC level of 110 ng/L at 2 h after 50 mg of captopril is recommended as an optimal cutoff point for the diagnosis of PA.

[The molecular mechanism of oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathic pain]

Objective: To investigate the molecular mechanism of oxaliplatin-induced chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathic pain (CIPNP). Methods: A total of 16 male Sprague-Dawley rats of specific pathogen-free grade were randomly divided into two groups: oxaliplatin experimental group (2.4 mg/kg oxaliplatin dissolved in 5.0% glucose solution, n=8) and control group (equal volume 5% glucose solution, n=8). The rat model of CIPNP was established by continuous administration with oxaliplatin. In addition, mechanical allodynia, thermal hyperalgesia and cold hyperalgesia were measured and compared between the two groups. To explore the molecular mechanism of oxaliplatin-induced CIPNP, the gene expression of dorsal root ganglia (DRG) from the rat model of CIPNP was analyzed using RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq). Results: Mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity was exhibited on day 7 and a stronger hypersensitivity was observed on day 14. A total of 20 152 genes were quantified by RNA-Seq, and 379 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained with absolute fold change cut-offs ≥ 2 and P value<0.05. There were 7 genes (Npy, Car3, Cdkn1a, Nts, Prc1, Ms4a7 and Ecel1) that were involved in peripheral nerve injury-related neuropathic pain. Gene ontology (GO) functional enrichment analyses indicated that the DEGs induced by oxaliplatin were involved in oxygen transport, cell division, intermediate, centromere, oxygen transporter activity, oxygen binding. Moreover, the result of Kyoto Encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) analyses highlighted that the DEGs induced by oxaliplatin were involved in malaria, African trypanosomiasis, primary immunodeficiency, peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR) signaling pathway. Conclusion: Oxaliplatin induces CIPNP via pain-related genes and signaling pathways.

Purely laparoscopic explant hepatectomy and hybrid laparoscopic/robotic graft implantation in living donor liver transplantation

This report describes a purely laparoscopic/robotic technique for successful living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). Purely laparoscopic explant hepatectomy followed by purely laparoscopic and robotic graft implantation can be performed in LDLT.

A randomised controlled trial of 7.5-mm and 7.0-mm tracheal tubes vs. 6.5-mm and 6.0-mm tracheal tubes for men and women during laparoscopic surgery

Sore throat after tracheal intubation impairs postoperative recovery. We randomly allocated 172 ASA physical status 1-2 participants, scheduled for laparoscopic lower abdominal surgery, to tracheal intubation with larger tubes (n = 88) or smaller tubes (n = 84), with internal diameters 7.5-mm vs. 6.5-mm for men and 7.0-mm vs. 6.0-mm for women. Primary outcome was the rates of no, mild, moderate or severe sore throat 1 h after surgery, which were 60, 10, 17 and 1 with larger tracheal tubes and 79, 5, 0 and 0 with smaller tubes, p < 0.001. The equivalent rates 24 h after surgery were 64, 16, 8 and 0 vs. 74, 6, 3 and 1, p = 0.037. Intra-operative ventilatory variables were unaffected by tube diameter, including peak inspiratory pressure, plateau pressure and end-tidal carbon dioxide partial pressure. In summary, smaller tracheal tubes benefitted patients having laparoscopic operations.

Quasisymmetric Optimization of Nonaxisymmetry in Tokamaks

Predictive 3D optimization reveals a novel approach to modify a nonaxisymmetric magnetic perturbation to be entirely harmless for tokamaks, by essentially restoring quasisymmetry in perturbed particle orbits as much as possible. Such a quasisymmetric magnetic perturbation (QSMP) has been designed and successfully tested in the KSTAR and DIII-D tokamaks, demonstrating no performance degradation despite the large overall amplitudes of nonaxisymmetric fields and strong response otherwise expected in the tested plasmas. The results indicate that a quasisymmetric optimization is a robust path of error field correction across the resonant and nonresonant field spectrum in a tokamak, leveraging the prevailing concept of quasisymmetry for general 3D plasma confinement systems such as stellarators. The optimization becomes, in fact, a simple eigenvalue problem to the so-called torque response matrices if a perturbed equilibrium is calculated consistent with nonaxisymmetric neoclassical transport.

[Prevalence and clinical characteristics of obstructive sleep apnea in patients with primary hyperaldosteronism]

Objective: To explore the proportion of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in primary aldosteronism (PA) in Chinese population and compare the clinical characteristics between PA patients with OSA and those without. Methods: A total of 96 patients diagnosed with PA from September 2015 to November 2018 were recruited in this study. OSA was screened by cardio-respiratory polygraphy. According to the apnea hypopnea index (AHI), the patients were divided into PA with OSA group (AHI ≥5 times) and PA without OSA group (AHI<5 times). Results: Among all patients (96), 69 (71.9%) were with OSA, among them 22 patients (22.9%) were with mild OSA, 17 patients (17.7%) were with moderate OSA and 30 patients (31.3%) were with severe OSA. Compared with the patients without OSA, the patients with OSA were elder, and had higher levels of body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), creatinine (CR) and glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) (P<0.05), but lower concentrations of plasma aldosterone (PAC), supine aldosterone renin concentration ratio(ARR) and the PAC after the diagnosis test (P<0.05). Spearman correlation analyses showed that BMI, WC, HC, CR and HbA1c were positively correlated with AHI (P<0.05), while high-density lipoproteincholesterol (HDL-C), supine-PAC and saline infusion test(SIT)-post PAC were negatively correlated with AHI (P<0.05). Conclusions: The proportion of OSA in PA patients is relatively high (71.9%). Metabolic abnormalities are more common in PA patients with OSA, indicating that screening for OSA should be carried out routinely in PA patients.

The Function of Wnt Ligands on Osteocyte and Bone Remodeling

Bone homeostasis is continually maintained by the process of bone remodeling throughout life. Recent studies have demonstrated that Wnt signaling pathways play a fundamental role in the process of bone homeostasis and remodeling. Intracellular Wnt signaling cascades are initially triggered by a Wnt ligand-receptor complex formation. In previous studies, the blocking of Wnt ligands from different osteoblastic differentiation stages could cause defective bone development at an early stage. Osteocytes, the most abundant and long-lived type of bone cell, are a crucial orchestrator of bone remodeling. However, the role of Wnt ligands on osteocyte and bone remodeling remains unclear. In our present study, we found that, besides osteoblasts, osteocytes also express multiple Wnt ligands in the bone environment. Then, we used a Dmp1-Cre mouse line, in which there is expression in a subset of osteoblasts but mainly osteocytes, to study the function of Wnt ligands on osteocyte and bone remodeling in vivo. Furthermore, we explored the role of Wnt ligands on osteocytic mineralization ability, as well as the regulatory function of osteocytes on the process of osteoblastic differentiation and osteoclastic migration and maturity in vitro. We concluded that Wnt proteins play an important regulatory role in 1) the process of perilacunar/canalicular remodeling, as mediated by osteocytes, and 2) the balance of osteogenesis and bone resorption at the bone surface, as mediated by osteoblasts and osteoclasts, at least partly through the canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and the OPG/RANKL signaling pathway.

[Investigation of treatment and analysis of prognostic risk on enterocutaneous fistula in China: a multicenter prospective study]

Objective: To investigate the diagnosis and treatment for enterocutaneous fistula (ECF) in China, and to explore the prognostic factors of ECF. Methods: A multi-center cross-sectional study was conducted based on the Registration System of Chinese Gastrointestinal Fistula and Intra-Abdominal Infections to collect the clinical data of ECF patients from 54 medical centers in 22 provinces/municipalities from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018. The clinical data included patient gender, age, length of hospital stay, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, underlying diseases, primary diseases, direct causes of ECF, location and type of ECF, complications, treatment and outcomes. All medical records were carefully filled in by the attending physicians, and then re-examined by more than two specialists. The diagnosis of ECF was based on the clinical manifestations, laboratory/imaging findings and intraoperative exploration. Results: A total of 1521 patients with ECF were enrolled, including 1099 males and 422 females, with a median age of 55 years. The top three primary diseases of ECF were malignant tumors in 626 cases (41.2%, including 540 gastrointestinal tumors, accounting for 86.3% of malignant tumors), gastrointestinal ulcers and perforations in 202 cases (13.3%), and trauma in 157 cases (10.3%). The direct causes of ECF were mainly surgical operation in 1194 cases (78.5%), followed by trauma in 156 (10.3%), spontaneous fistula due to Crohn's disease in 92 (6.0%), radiation intestinal injury in 41 (2.7%), severe pancreatitis in 20 (1.3%), endoscopic treatment in 13 (0.9%) and 5 cases (0.3%) of unknown reasons. All the patients were divided into three groups: 1350 cases (88.7%) with simple ECF, 150 (9.9%) with multiple ECF, and 21 (1.4%) with combined internal fistula. Among the patients with simple ECF, 438 cases (28.8%) were jejuno-ileal fistula, 313 (20.6%) colon fistula, 170 (11.2%) rectal fistula, 111 (7.3%) duodenal fistula, 76 (5.0%) ileocecal fistula, 65 (4.3%) ileocolic anastomotic fistula, 55 (3.6%) duodenal stump fistula, 36 (2.4%) gastrointestinal anastomotic fistula, 36 (2.4%) esophagogastric/esophagojejunal anastomotic fistula, 29 (1.9%) gastric fistula and 21 (1.4%) cholangiopancreatiointestinal. Among all the simple ECF patients, 991 were tubular fistula and 359 were labial fistula. A total of 1146 patients finished the treatment, of whom 1061 (92.6%) were healed (586 by surgery and 475 self-healing) and 85 (7.4%) died. A total of 1043 patients (91.0%) received nutritional support therapy, and 77 (6.7%) received fistuloclysis. Infectious source control procedures were applied to 1042 patients, including 711 (62.0%) with active lavage and drainage and 331 (28.9%) with passive drainage. Among them, 841 patients (73.4%) underwent minimally invasive procedures of infectious source control (replacement of drainage tube through sinus tract, puncture drainage, etc.), 201 (17.5%) underwent laparotomy drainage, while 104 (9.1%) did not undergo any drainage measures. A total of 610 patients (53.2%) received definitive operation, 24 patients died within postoperative 30-day with mortality of 3.9% (24/610), 69 (11.3%) developed surgical site infection (SSI), and 24 (3.9%) had a relapse of fistula. The highest cure rate was achieved in ileocecal fistula (100%), followed by rectal fistula (96.2%, 128/133) and duodenal stump fistula (95.7%,44/46). The highest mortality was found in combined internal fistula (3/12) and no death in ileocecal fistula. Univariate prognostic analysis showed that primary diseases as Crohn's disease (χ(2)=6.570, P=0.010) and appendicitis/appendiceal abscess (P=0.012), intestinal fistula combining with internal fistula (χ(2)=5.460, P=0.019), multiple ECF (χ(2)=7.135, P=0.008), esophagogastric / esophagojejunal anastomotic fistula (χ(2)=9.501, P=0.002), ECF at ileocecal junction (P=0.012), non-drainage/passive drainage before the diagnosis of intestinal fistula (χ(2)=9.688, P=0.008), non-drainage/passive drainage after the diagnosis of intestinal fistula (χ(2)=9.711, P=0.008), complicating with multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) (χ(2)=179.699, P<0.001), sepsis (χ(2)=211.851, P<0.001), hemorrhage (χ(2)=85.300, P<0.001), pulmonary infection (χ(2)=60.096, P<0.001), catheter-associated infection (χ(2)=10.617, P=0.001) and malnutrition (χ(2)=21.199, P<0.001) were associated with mortality. Multivariate prognostic analysis cofirmed that sepsis (OR=7.103, 95%CI:3.694-13.657, P<0.001), complicating with MODS (OR=5.018, 95%CI:2.170-11.604, P<0.001), and hemorrhage (OR=4.703, 95%CI: 2.300-9.618, P<0.001) were independent risk factors of the death for ECF patients. Meanwhile, active lavage and drainage after the definite ECF diagnosis was the protective factor (OR=0.223, 95%CI: 0.067-0.745, P=0.015). Conclusions: The overall mortality of ECF is still high. Surgical operation is the most common cause of ECF. Complications e.g. sepsis, MODS, hemorrhage, and catheter-associated infection, are the main causes of death. Active lavage and drainage is important to improve the prognosis of ECF.

Nonambipolar Transport due to Electrons with 3D Resistive Response in the KSTAR Tokamak

A small nonaxisymmetric (3D) magnetic field can induce nonambipolar transport of the particle species confined in a tokamak and thus a significant change of plasma rotation. This process can be in a favor of instability control in the region where the tokamak plasma is sufficiently collisional and resistive, as observed in the applications of n=1 resonant magnetic perturbations to the KSTAR tokamak. The plasma rotation can be globally accelerated due to radially drifting electrons and constrained to the electron root, if the radial transport is enhanced by an amplified 3D response. This mechanism is verified by a kinetically self-consistent magnetohydrodynamic modeling for both response and transport, which offers the quantitative explanations on the internal n=1 structure detected by electron-cyclotron-emission imaging and the cocurrent plasma spinning observed in the experiments.

Can Three Months of Teriparatide Be One of Treatment Options for Osteoporotic Vertebral Compression Fracture Patients?

Objective

Osteoporosis is one of the most common causes of vertebral compression fractures (VCFs). Teriparatide, a recombinant human parathyroid hormone, is the first anabolic agent for the treatment of osteoporosis. The aim of this study was to determine whether 3 months of teriparatide could be effective for patients with osteoporotic VCF at the thoracolumbar spine.

Methods

We reviewed 25 patients with thoracolumbar osteoporotic compression fractures between July 2012 and October 2016 who could be followed up for more than 1 year. Patients were divided into 2 groups depending on the use of teriparatide: 14 patients received teriparatide through subcutaneous injection (group I) and 11 patients did not receive teriparatide (group II). Demographic data, bone mineral density, hospitalization period, changes in the visual analogue scale (VAS) score, body mass index, and medical history such as smoking, alcohol, diabetes, and steroid usage were reviewed. Radiographs were also reviewed to evaluate vertebral body compression percentages and kyphotic angles.

Results

Overall changes of VAS score between injury and follow-up were statistically improved in both groups at 2 to 3 weeks post-injury. However, difference in VAS improvement at a specific time between the 2 groups was not statistically significant. Overall kyphotic angle and compression percentage between injury and follow-up time were increased in group II than those in group I, although the difference between the 2 groups was not statistically significant.

Conclusion

Three-month of teriparatide did not show protective effects on progression of fractured vertebral body collapse or kyphotic changes in patients with osteoporosis.

On the Image Sensor Processing for Lane Detection and Control in Vehicle Lane Keeping Systems

Lane keeping systems for a keeping a vehicle in the desired lane is key to advanced driving assistance system in autonomous vehicles. This paper presents a cost-effective image sensor with efficient processing algorithm for lane detection and lane control applications to autonomous delivery systems. The algorithm includes (1) lane detection by inverse perspective mapping and random sample consensus parabola fitting and (2) lane control by pure pursuit steering controller and classical proportional integral speed controller based on a nonholonomic kinematic model. The image sensor experiments conducted on a 1/10 scale model car maneuvering in a straight⁻curve⁻straight lane validate the better processing performance before, during, and after the turning section over previous work. The image sensor with the processing algorithm achieves the average lane detection error within 5% and maximum cross-track error within 9% in real-time. The development shall pave the way to cost-effective autonomous delivery systems.

[Clinical diagnosis and surgical management of 110 cases of facial nerve schwannomas]

Objective: To elucidate the clinical behavior, causes of misdiagnosis, surgical management, and outcomes of facial nerve schwannomas (FNS). Methods: A retrospective review in Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital from January 1, 2002 to December 31, 2015 was carried out and evaluated 110 patients with FNS, including 50 males and 60 females, aged 16-67 years old. The appropriate surgical strategy was selected based on each patient's clinical manifestations, facial nerve function, and imaging characteristics. After surgery, patients received follow-up visits to assess their facial nerve functions, with the effect of treatment compared to the reality before surgery. The Kruskal-Wallis H test was used to distinguish between the pre- and post-operation facial nerve functions in patients who had different facial nerve functions before the operations. Results: 110 cases of FNS mainly presented with facial paralysis, hearing loss, tinnitus, otalgia, dizziness, and facial spasm. 20 of the cases were misdiagnosed as Bell's Palsy, 6 were mistaken for chronic otitis media/cholesteatoma with radical mastoidectomy, 3 were mistaken for Meniere's disease, 1 was misdiagnosed as petrous bone cholesteatoma, and 4 were mistaken for acoustic neuroma. 81.8 % (90/110) of the patients had multiple segments of the facial nerve, including the vertical segment of the facial nerve, accounting for 65.5% (72/110), followed by the labyrinthine/geniculate segment, for 61.8% (68/110), and the horizontal segment, for 55.5% (61/110). The appropriate surgical approaches were chosed based on the sizes and scopes of the tumors evaluated by imaging: transmastoid approach in 73 cases, translabyrinthe approach in 14 cases, middle cranial fossa approach in 13 cases, retrosigmoid approach in 3 cases, transmastoid-middle cranial fossa approach in 3 cases, and transmastoid-neck approach in 4 cases, with all the patients undergoing a total/subtotal resection of the tumor. Eighty-seven patients had their facial nerves reconstructed. Among them, 6 received facial nerve end-to-end anastomosis, 55 received great auricular nerve graft, and 26 were subjected to facial nerve-hypoglossal nerve anastomosis. Because of long histories, facial muscle atrophies, or other reasons, the remaining patients were not received facial nerve reconstruction. The House-Brackmann(H-B) grading scale was used to evaluate the facial nerve function pre- and post-operation. Patients with better facial nerve functions and shorter history of facial paralysis before operation would get relatively better facial nerve function. The before and after operation comparisons revealed that the recovery of the facial nerve functions in patients with H-B Ⅰ-Ⅲ was better than the improvement in patients with H-B Ⅳ-Ⅴ. The difference was statistically significant (Kruskal-Wallis H test, H=8.508, P<0.05). Conclusions: The diagnosis of patients with unknown facial paralysis, hearing loss, and tinnitus should take into account the possibility of FNS. CT and other imaging examinations of the temporal bone can avoid misdiagnosis and determine the tumor size and extent of lesions, as well as provide the basis for the choice of the surgical approach. After tumors have been completely resected, facial nerve reconstruction can be performed simultaneously, according to the defect of the nerve.

[Clinicopathological analysis of aggressive angiomyxoma of soft tissue in abdomino-pelvic cavity]

Aggressive angiomyxoma is a rare mesenchymal tumor. To discuss the clinicopathological characteristics, treatment and prognosis of aggressive angiomyxoma, four cases of aggressive angiomyxoma of soft tissue in abdominopelvic cavity were collected from January 2015 to August 2017 in Peking University International Hospital. The clinical data, imaging examination, histopathological features, immunophenotype, therapy and prognosis were analysed. The related literatures were reviewed. All of the patients were adult females, age range from 27 to 49 years and mean 33 years. The clinical complaint was abdominal distention with no definite predisposing factor, or occasional physical-exam finding with no obvious discomfort. Three cases were primary and one case was recurrent. Typical layered or swirled structural sign was presented by CT and MRI scanning of three cases. All tumors located in the pelvic cavity, and attached to the uterus, vagina, rectum, bladder or ureter. One case was involved in the abdominal cavity simultaneously,adhesive to the spine, inferior vena cava and spleen. The gross appearance of tumors was from 5 to 22 cm in maximum diameter. The sectioned surfaces were soft, solid, white or yellow-gray, focally accompanied by edema, mucoid degeneration or cystic change. Microscopic observation showed that tumor cells were short spindle shaped and little atypical, the stroma was loose like edematous mucus or collagen, and the vessels were rich in thin and thick-wall. Partially the vessel wall expressed hyaline degeneration. Also tumors might infiltrate surrounding tissue, such as fat or nerve. The immunohistochemistry results of all cases were estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor diffusely moderate positive, Desmin and smooth muscle actin mostly positive, whereas CD34 expressed only in vessel and S-100 protein, CD117 and Dog1 all negative. All the tumors were complete surgical excision. During follow-up, one case recurred the second time. Our conclusions are the diagnosis of aggressive angiomyxoma is based on pathological morphology supplemented by immunohistochemistry, and the tumor may relapse after surgical resection.

[The effect of inadequate Vitamin D on sperm quality]

Objective: To analyze the effect of insufficient intake of vitamin D (VD) on sperm quality and male fertility and to discuss the mechanism of the effect. Methods: VD deficiency mice were fed with VD-deficient diet and light-sheltered. The sperm motility, morphology, ultrastructure, testicular pathology, sex hormones and fertility of normal and VD-deficient mice were analyzed to investigate the effects of VD deficiency on male reproduction. Results: Compared with the normal group, the mice with VD deficiency had lower sperm concentration[(128±53) ×10(6)/ml vs( 58±15) ×10(6)/ml, P<0.05], less sperm in the epididymis, slightly less mature spermatozoa.The serum testosterone[(328±65 )nmol/L vs(255±58 )nmol/L]and estradiol levels[(60±115) pmol/L vs(384±104) pmol/L]were significantly lower (P<0.05), and the FSH[(296±177)ng/L vs(219±105 )ng/L]and LH[(393±129) ng/L vs(364±108) ng/L]levels were significantly higher (P<0.05). The other tests did not show any significant difference (P>0.05). Conclusion: The impact of insufficient intake of VD on sperm quality is not prominent, the specific impact of VD on male reproductive needs to be further studied.

[Prognostic significance of blood count at the time of achieving morphologic leukemia-free state in adults with acute myeloid leukemia]

目的

探讨首次获骨髓无白血病状态时血细胞恢复程度[包括完全缓解（CR，ANC≥1.0× 10⁹/L和PLT≥100×10⁹/L）、PLT未恢复（CRp）、ANC和PLT均未恢复（CRi）]对初治成人急性髓系白血病（AML）患者预后的影响。

方法

回顾2008年1月至2016年2月北京大学人民医院收治的获得骨髓无白血病状态后持续化疗AML（非急性早幼粒细胞白血病）连续病例，分析诊断时疾病特征、诱导化疗方案、首次诱导化疗反应以及骨髓无白血病状态时血细胞计数与预后的关系。

结果

352例患者，男179例（50.9%），中位年龄44（17~65）岁。按美国西南肿瘤组（SWOG）标准分组：低危87例（24.7%），中危171例（48.6%），高危46例（13.1%），未知48例（13.6%）。单体核型16例（4.5%），FLT3-ITD突变阳性41例（11.6%）。首次获骨髓无白血病状态时血细胞恢复程度：CR 299例（84.9%），CRp 26例（7.4%），CRi 27例（7.7%）。存活患者中位随访16（2~94）个月，30个月累积复发（CIR）、无病生存（DFS）和总生存（OS）率分别为47.5%、46.0%和58.6%。多因素分析显示，骨髓无白血病状态时血细胞恢复不良是影响患者CIR、DFS和OS的共同不利因素（HR=1.4，95% CI 1.0~1.9，P=0.037；HR=1.5，95% CI 1.1~2.0，P= 0.003；HR=1.5，95% CI 1.1~2.0，P=0.017）。此外，SWOG分组危险度高和FLT3-ITD突变阳性是影响患者CIR、DFS和OS的共同不利因素；确诊时外周血原始细胞比例高是影响患者DFS的不利因素；年龄大和确诊时骨髓原始细胞比例高是影响患者OS的不利因素。

结论

持续化疗的成人AML患者，首次获骨髓无白血病状态时血细胞恢复程度是影响预后的独立因素。

[The application value of suppression head pulse paradigm (SHIMP) in vestibular examination]

Objective:To summarize different results of suppression head impulse paradigm (SHIMP) and head impulse paradigm (HIMP) in patients with bilateral and unilateral vestibular loss and to evaluate the practicability of SHIMP in clinical vestibular examination. Method: Seventy subjects with unilateral vestibular loss, bilateral vestibular loss and healthy were included. Morphological characteristics of HIMP and SHIMP results were analyzed. The differences of VOR gains were compared with the paired t test. Result: Almost all SHIMP showed anti-compensatory saccades in healthy group. Less anti-compensatory saccades occurred in the affected side of patient with vestibular loss. The VOR gains showed there was a significant correlation(P<0.05) between HIMP and SHIMP. Conclusion: Different to compensatory saccades in HIMP indicate potential loss in vestibular function, anti-compensatory saccades in SHIMP shows vestibular function in patients. The combination of these two mthods will benefit disease screening and vestibular rehabilitation in clinical examination.

[Prognostic significance of early assessment of minimal residual disease in acute myeloid leukemia with mutated NPM1 patients]

目的

探讨NPM1突变阳性急性髓系白血病（AML）患者化疗后早期微小残留病（MRD）水平与预后的关系。

方法

回顾性分析137例初治成人伴NPM1基因主要突变（A、B、D突变）AML患者的治疗结果，以及化疗后早期时间点MRD（NPM1突变转录本）水平对预后的影响。

结果

在137例患者中，男67例（48.9%），中位年龄49（16~67）岁，染色体正常核型107例（78.1%），FLT3-ITD突变阳性57例（41.6%），初诊时NPM1基因突变转录本中位水平84.1%（4.1%~509.9%）。在134例可评估的患者中，115例（85.8%）最终获完全缓解（CR）。多因素分析显示，WBC<100×10⁹/L（OR=0.3，95% CI 0.1~0.9，P=0.027）和初始诱导治疗为“IA10”方案（OR=0.3，95% CI 0.1~0.8，P=0.015）是获得CR的有利因素。在108例可评估的CR患者中，存活患者中位随访24（2~91）个月，3年无病生存（DFS）和总生存（OS）率分别为48.0%和63.9%。多因素分析显示，FLT3-ITD突变阳性（HR=3.2，95% CI 1.6~6.7，P=0.002）、巩固治疗2个疗程后MRD高水平（NPM1突变转录本水平较治疗前下降<3个对数级，HR=23.2，95% CI 7.0~76.6，P<0.001）、未接受异基因造血干细胞移植（allo-HSCT）（HR=2.6，95% CI 1.0~6.6，P=0.045）是影响患者DFS的不利因素；MRD在首次获得CR时高水平（NPM1突变转录本水平下降<2个对数级，HR=2.5，95% CI 1.0~6.1，P=0.040）和巩固治疗2个疗程后高水平（HR=4.5，95% CI 2.0~10.3，P<0.001）是影响患者OS的不利因素。进一步分析78例接受化疗（或自体移植）的CR患者，3年DFS和OS率分别为39.7%和59.1%，FLT3-ITD突变阳性和巩固治疗2个疗程后MRD高水平是独立影响患者DFS（HR=3.5，95% CI 1.6~7.6，P=0.002和HR=8.9，95% CI 3.8~20.7，P<0.001）和OS（HR=2.7，95% CI 1.1~6.9，P=0.036和HR=3.1，95% CI 1.2~8.0，P=0.021）的共同不利因素，此外，首次获得CR时MRD高水平（HR=3.1，95% CI 1.2~8.0，P=0.022）也是影响患者OS的不利因素。

结论

在NPM1突变阳性AML患者中，伴有FLT3-ITD突变和化疗后早期MRD高水平预示不良预后。

[Analysis of proliferative lesions of haematopoietic and lymphoid tissue in the female productive tract]

Objective: To study the clinicopathologic features, diagnosis and differential diagnosis of tumors of haematopoietic and lymphoid tissue in the female productive tract. Methods: Eleven cases of myeloid sarcoma and leukemia, 9 of non Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) , 13 of cervical lymphoma-like lesions were selected from Peking University People's Hospital from January 2006 to August 2017. According to WHO classification of tumors of haematopoietic and lymphoid tissues (2008) and updated classification(2016), the cases were studied by microscopy, immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. Results: In 20 cases of tumors of haematopoietic and lymphoid tissue, the mean and median age was 48.5 and 56 years old (range: 16-77 years old) . In cases of lymphoma-like lesion of uterine cervix, the mean and median age was 45.9 and 48 years old (range: 23-62 years old) . The patients with neoplasm present as fever, fatigue, hypogastralgia, colporrhagia and mass etc. Eight cases had history of acute myeloid leukemia, and 3 had myeloid leukemia while pregnancy. One case of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) had history of ovary small cell carcinoma and high grade serous carcinoma resected with chemotherapy. One case of diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) had history of renal transplantation. Lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) was elevated in 9 cases (9/18) . The cases of lymphoma-like lesion present as contact bleeding in most cases and all located in cervix. Four cases of neoplasm located in vulva, 1 in vagina, 4 in cervix, 4 in uterine corpus, 8 in ovary and 2 in placenta. Clinical staging of NHL: 4 case was stageⅠ, 1 case of stageⅢ, and 4 cases of stage Ⅳ. Pathological morphology: 9 cases were myeloid sarcoma, 2 cases were placenta invaded by myeloid leukemia. Six cases were DLBCL, and 1 case was CLL/SLL, 1 case was mucosa associated lymphoid tissuse lymphoma (MALToma) , and 1 case was anaplastic large cell lymphoma. Resected mass, chemotherapy was performed in tumors of haematopoietic and lymphoid tissue. Five cases of myeloid sarcoma and 2 of NHL died. In 13 cases of lymphoma-like lesion of uterine cervix, the general condition was good as following up. Conclusions: The clinical history, pathological morphology and immunohistochemistry are very important for diagnosing tumors of haematopoietic and lymphoid tissue in the female productive tract. Resection with chemotherapy is recommended in treatment. The prognosis of lymphoma-like lesion of uterine cervix is good, and should be differentiated from lymphoma.

[Retrospective analysis of auditory neuropathy patients after cochlear implantation]

Objectives: To study an effects on hearing ability and speech performance of the patients with auditory neuropathy (AN) after cochlear implantation (CI). Methods: Thirty-five AN patients (26 males and 9 females) after CI in our center since 2007 were chosen, including 5 postlingual patients (implanted age from 14.3 to 38.6 years old) and 30 prelingual patients (implanted age from 1.1 to 13.7 years old). Hearing sensitivity and speech performance were estimated via following methods: (1) implanted hearing thresholds by sound field audiometry; (2) speech audiometry, including monosyllable, disyllable and sentences recognition test by computer-controlled software and sentence recognition test under noise condition (signal to noise ratio=+ 10dB); (3) Mandarin Early Speech Perception test (MESP), Mandarin Pediatric Speech Intelligibility test (MPSI), MAIS, or IT-MAIS for prelingual AN implantees. Results: The average implanted hearing threshold (250-4 000 Hz) was (41.1±11.7) dBHL in 22 AN implantees, while those prelingual implantees was (39.1±10.9) dBHL, and (44.9±12.3) dBHL in postlingual implantees. Speech audiometry were implemented in four of 5 postlingual AN implantees, the results showed increasing tendency in monosyllable recognition scores, dramatic individual variation in computer-controlled disyllable and sentences recognition test, and poor scores (<30%) in speech recognition test in noise condition. Four of 30 prelingual implantees reconstruct their speech recognition ability within 1-3 years after switch-on, characterized as recognition scores (>60%) in monosyllable, disyllable and sentences. The one of prelingual implantee gained recognition scores of speech in noise within 1 year after switch-on. MAIS or IT-MAIS were implemented in twenty-five prelingual implantees, the average score in these patients was 28.6±11.7. Conclusion: Cochlear implant can improve the hearing thresholds of AN patients, however, the improvement in speech performance presented significant variations among the implanted individuals.

Tyrosinase-doped bioink for 3D bioprinting of living skin constructs

Three-dimensional bioprinting is an emerging technology for fabricating living 3D constructs, and it has shown great promise in tissue engineering. Bioinks are scaffold materials mixed with cells used by 3D bioprinting to form a required cell-laden structure. In this paper, a novel bioink made of gelatin methacrylamide (GelMA) and collagen (Col) doped with tyrosinase (Ty) is presented for the 3D bioprinting of living skin tissues. Ty has the dual function of being an essential bioactive compound in the skin regeneration process and also as an enzyme to facilitate the crosslink of Col and GelMA. Further, enzyme crosslinking together with photocrosslinking can enhance the mechanical strength of the bioink. The experimental results show that the bioink is able to form stable 3D living constructs using the 3D bioprinting process. The cell culture shows that three major cell lines: human melanocytes (HEM), human keratinocytes (HaCat) and human dermal fibroblasts (HDF) exhibit high cell viabilities. The viability of these three cell lines is above 90%. The proliferation and scratching test show that Ty can enhance the proliferation of HEM, inhibit the growth and migration of HDF and not affect HaCat significantly. Animal tests show that the doped bioinks for 3D bioprinting can help form an epidermis and dermis, and thus have high potential as a skin bioink.

[Retroperitoneal dedifferentiated liposarcoma with rhabdomyoblastic differentiation: a clinicopathological analysis]

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features, differential diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of dedifferentiated liposarcoma with rhabdomyoblastic differentiation. Methods: Six cases of retroperitoneal dedifferentiated liposarcoma with rhabdomyoblastic features were collected from December 2014 to August 2017 at Peking University International Hospital. The clinical manifestations, histomorphology, immunophenotype, treatment and follow-up data were analyzed, and relevant literature reviewed. Results: The six patients included two males and four females, with age range of 47 to 66 years (mean 56 years). One case was primary and the five cases were recurred; four cases received radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. The tumor diameters were 10 to 30 cm. Microscopically, the dedifferentiated areas were well demarcated from the well-differentiated areas, and resembled malignant fibrous histiocytoma, fibrosarcoma or solitary fibrous tumor with obvious mitotic figures or necrosis. Rhabdomyoblastic cells made up 10% to 30% of dedifferentiated area, and were scattered or focally distributed, being rounded, band-like or spindled, mostly with abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm. No striated structure was found, and the nucleis were rounded, oval or irregular shape with central or eccentric prominent nucleoli. Rare rhabdomyoblastic cells were lymphocytoid. The tumors encroached the muscular layer of intestinal wall in two cases and perirenal adipose tissue in one case. By immunohistochemical staining, the rhabdomyoblastic cells of all cases were all positive for desmin, myogenin, myoD1 and SMA; S-100 protein was expressed in one case (1/6). Well-differentiated area in two cases and dedifferentiated areas in all six cases were positive for MDM2, CDK4 and p16. After resection of the tumor and adjacent organs, one case recurred three months later, but there was no distant metastasis. Conclusions: Dedifferentiated liposarcoma with rhabdomyoblastic differentiation is a rare dedifferentiated liposarcoma. Pathological diagnosis is based on morphology, with supplementary immunohistochemical or molecular evaluation for further differential diagnosis. Multiple relapses may occur after surgical ablation plus adjuvant therapy.

Hearing-loss-associated gene detection in neonatal intensive care unit

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the frequency and mutation spectrum of hearing loss-associated gene mutation in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

METHODS

Neonates (n=2305) admitted to NICU were enrolled in this study. Nine prominent hearing loss-associated genes, GJB2 (35 del G, 176 del 16,235 del C, 299 del AT), GJB3 (538 C > T), SLC26A4 (IVS7-2A > G, 2168 A > G) and mtDNA 12S rRNA(1555 A > G, 1494 C > T), were detected.

RESULT

There were 73 cases hearing-loss-associated gene mutation among 2305 cases, the mutation frequency was 3.1%, with 40 cases GJB2 (235del C) mutation (54.8%), 6 cases GJB2 (299 del AT) mutation (8.2%), 21 cases SLC26A4 (IVS 7-2 A > G) mutation (28.7%), 4 cases SLC26A4 (2168 A > G) mutation (5.5%), 2 cases of GJB2 (235del C) combined SLC26A4 (IVS 7-2 A > G, 2168 A > G) mutation (2.8%). Among 73 gene mutation cases, preterm neonates presented in 18 cases, accounting for 24.7% (18/73); hyperbilirubinemia in 13 cases, accounting for 17.8% (13/73); Torch Syndrome in 15 cases, with 12 cases CMV, 2 cases rubella, 1 case toxoplasm, respectively, totally accounting for 20.54% (15/73); neonatal pneumonia in 12 cases, accounting for 16.4% (12/73); birth asphyxia in 5 cases, accounting for 6.9% (5/73); sepsis in 5 cases, accounting for 6.9% (5/73); others in 5 cases, accounting for 6.8% (5/73) .

CONCLUSIONS

The frequency of hearing loss-associated gene mutation was higher in NICU.There were hearing loss-associated gene mutations in the NICU, suggesting this mutation may complicate with perinatal high-risk factors.

[Neurofeedback therapy in the treatment of tinnitus]

Neurofeedback therapy is a fast-growing field of tinnitus treatment, which is a new type of biofeedback therapy. In the past, the "muscle tone" and "blood flow" were used as feedback signals in biofeedback therapy to treat tinnitus, however there was no long-term follow-up report. Instead, neurofeedback therapy utilizes EEG (electroencephalogram) as the feedback signal, which is also called EEG biofeedback therapy. At present, most treatments of tinnitus only record subjective measures of patients as evaluation indicators, whereas neurofeedback therapy is more convincing for using comprehensive evaluation including changes of brain wave as objective indicators and subjective measures of patients. A significant number of tinnitus patients have varying degree of hearing loss. As neurofeedback therapy takes advantage of EEG as feedback signal that is delivered to the patients through visual information, it has unique advantages of being not affected by the degree of hearing loss compared to the sound masking or other sound treatment. Long-term follow-up results showed that the efficacy of neurofeedback therapy was stable after half a year of short-term treatment. This paper summarizes the progress of the various types of biofeedback therapy in the treatment of tinnitus, and focuses on the neurofeedback therapy for the mechanism, indication, process, efficacy evaluation, defect and prospect of neurofeedback therapy in tinnitus treatment in order to help promote the development of domestic clinical neurofeedback therapy in tinnitus.

[Outcomes of adult patients with de novo acute myeloid leukemia received idarubicin plus cytarabine regimen as induction chemotherapy]

Objective: To explore outcomes in adult with de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML) received IA10 (10 mg/m(2) d1-3 idarubicin plus cytarabine 100 mg/m(2) d1-7) regimen as induction chemotherapy. Methods: From January 2008 to February 2016, data of consecutive newly-diagnosed AML (non-M(3)) adults treated with IA10 who achieved morphologic leukemia-free state (MLFS) but not accepted allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) were assessed retrospectively. Results: A total of 198 patients were included in this study with 96 (48.5%) male and a median age of 42 years old (range, 18-62 years old). Using the SWOG cytogenetic classification, 45 (22.7%), 104 (52.5%), 24 (12.1%) and 25 (12.6%) patients belonged to favorable, intermediate, unfavorable and unknown categories, respectively. 6 (3.0%) patients had monosomal karyotype, and 28 (14.1%) positive FLT3-ITD mutation. A complete remission (CR, defined as MLFS with ANC ≥ 1×10(9)/L and PLT ≥ 100×10(9)/L) achieved in 168 (84.8%) patients, a CRp (defined as MLFS with incomplete PLT recovery) in 16 (8.1%) and a CRi (defined as MLFS with incomplete ANC and PLT recovery) in 14 (7.1%). With a median follow-up period of 15 months (range, 1 to 70 months) in survivors, the probabilities of cumulative incident of relapse (CIR), disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates at 2-year were 45.2%, 46.9% and 62.9%, respectively; the median durations of relapse, DFS and OS were 34, 20 and 37 months respectively. At the time of achieving first MLFS, multivariate analyses showed that positive FLT3-ITD mutation and CRi were common adverse factors affecting CIR, DFS and OS; unfavorable-risk of SWOG criteria was an adverse factor affecting CIR and DFS; monosomal karyotype was associated with shorter OS. After first consolidation therapy, FLT3-ITD mutation positive and unfavorable-risk of SWOG criteria had negatively impact on CIR, DFS and OS; peripheral blasts ≥ 0.50 and positive MRD (defined as RQ-PCR WT1 mRNA ≥ 0.6% or any level of abnormal blast population detected by flow cytometry) after first consolidation therapy were common adverse factors affecting CIR and DFS; CRi was an adverse factor affecting DFS and OS. Conclusions: In adult with de novo AML received IA10 regimen as induction regimen, unfavorable molecular markers or cytogenetics at diagnosis and CRi independently predicted poor outcome. In addition, a higher percentage of peripheral blasts, monosomal karyotype and positive MRD after first consolidation therapy had negatively impact on outcomes.

[Morphological characteristics and phenotypic analysis of multiple morphological abnormalities in sperm flagella]

Objective: To analyze the sperm morphological characteristics of multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella (MMAF), and to analyze their common features and subtypes. Methods: Twenty-eight patients with abnormal morphology of flagella were analyzed by semen analysis. The morphological characteristics were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Histological observation of one case of testicular tissue was performed. Results: Of the 28 patients, only 13 patients (46.4%) had motile spermatozoa, 12 of which had a sperm motility rate of <10% and a sperm survival rate of 9.0%-80.0%. Under light and scanning electron microscope, sperm with absent, short, coiled, bent and irregular width flagella or their combinations were observed. Transmission electron microscopy showed structural abnormalities of sperm fibrous sheath, mitochondrial sheath. Loss rate of central microtubule was 41.4%-84.6%. The semen of the 2 patients with the absence or presence of the kinetic protein arm and both the inner and lateral motilin arms missing had no motile spermatozoa. There was no statistically significant difference in the proportion of flagellar malformations between the two groups of patients (without motile sperm vs with motile spermatozoa). Conclusion: MMAF is a kind of sperm flagella specific abnormalities. Initially diagnosis can be carried out using light microscopy. Clear diagnosis could be conduct using transmission electron microscopy, and the central microtubule loss of the sperm could be seen as the main feature of the flagella abnormalities. Through the morphological analysis and research, MMAF could be precisely classified, which provide a strong basis for the diagnosis.

[Forensic Analysis of 63 Cases of Non-violent Death Occurred in Custody]

OBJECTIVES

To collect cases of non-violent death occurred in custody for analyzing the forensic characteristics and related influencing factors.

METHODS

Sixty-three cases of non-violent death among detainees in custody that handled by a forensic science center from 2000 to 2015 were collected. The type, onset season, medical history, clinical manifestation, treatment and duration of related fatal diseases were analyzed retrospectively.

RESULTS

The deaths due to diseases in custody were common in male, and with a high incidence in middle aged adults. The most common cause of death was cardiac death （50.8%）. Chronic inflammatory diseases such as gastrointestinal perforation, pulmonary tuberculosis, pneumonia, hepatitis and pancreatitis, were common. There was a peak incidence in summer. The acute symptoms included sudden onset during sleep and sudden apsychia, and emesis, abdominal pain, fatigue, chest tightness, shortness of breath, fever and anorexia were the most common chronic symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

The management system, custody condition, medical level and rescue rudiment of custody still need improvements. It should be pay more attention to collecting the information of medical history, autopsy, histological examination and toxicological analysis, etc.

[Tumors of lymphoid and hematopoietic tissue of spleen: a clinicopathologic analysis of 53 cases]

Objective: To study the clinicopathologic features, diagnosis and differential diagnosis of the tumors of lymphoidand hematopoietic tissue of the spleen(TLTS). Methods: Fifty-three cases of TLTS were selected from the pathologic files from Peking University People's Hospital from April 2002 to April 2017. According to WHO classification of tumors of hematopoietic and lymphoid tissues (2008) and its updated classification (2016), the cases were studied by microscopy, immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization, combined with the bone marrow biopsy and clinical examination. Results: In 53 cases of TLTS, the male to female ratio was 3.4∶1.0; the mean age was 55.4 years (range 21-76 years), and all patients presented with variable degree of splenomegaly. Laboratory examination showed increased percentage of lymphocyte in peripheral blood in 22 cases, and elevated serum LDH level in 24 cases. Abnormal blood counts were seen in 26 cases pre-operatively, in which 22 cases showed complete or partial correction of these abnormalities post-operatively (84.6%, 22/26). The clinical symptoms included abdominal pain or distension, fatigue, fever, and weight loss, etc. Seventeen cases presented with lymphadenopathy of abdomen or other sites. Bone marrow biopsy was performed in 30 cases, and 19 cases were involved by tumor (63.3%). Of all 53 cases, 43 were diagnosed as primary splenic lymphoma (PSL), and the remaining 10 cases as secondary TLTS. According to Ann Arbor staging, 14 cases were stages Ⅰ or Ⅱ, 6 were stage Ⅲ and 28 were stage Ⅳ. By histopathologic classification, 43 cases of PSL were splenic B-cell marginal zone lymphoma (SMZL; 48.8%, 21/43), diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL; 23.3%, 10/43), splenic diffuse red pulp small B-cell lymphoma (11.6%, 5/43), mantle cell lymphoma (9.3%, 4/43), follicular lymphoma (4.7%, 2/43), and composite lymphoma (CL, DLBCL and classical Hodgkin lymphoma; 2.3%, 1/43). The remaining 10 cases were chronic lymphocytic leukaemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (4 cases), hairy cell leukaemia (1 case), hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma (HSTL; 5 cases), with lesions in other sites. Of the 53 cases of TLTS, 47 were B cell neoplasm (88.7%, 47/53), and the T cell neoplasms were all HSTL(5 cases, 9.4%, 5/53), 1 case was composite lymphoma. In 11 cases of TLTS, EBER in situ hybridization was performed and all cases were negative. Forty eight cases had follow-up data, and the median survival period was 17.0 months(range: 1-96 months). The survival of patients with SMZL and DLBCL were 25.7 and 18.6 months respectively. Thirteen patients died (27.1%, 13/48). The prognosis of those with elevated LDH level, high clinical stage, B symptoms and older than 60 years of age was worse. And the prognosis of DLBCL was worse than that of SMZL. There was no statistically significant difference between these factors and prognosis (P>0.05). Conclusions: Most TLTS cases present with splenomegaly and abnormal blood counts, and complete or partial remission of blood counts isseen after splenectomy. The most common pathologic types of TLTS are SMZL and DLBCL. Definite diagnosis of TLTS could be made by combining clinical features, histopathology, immunophenotype, genetics, bone marrow biopsy and laboratory examination.

[Factors associated with early treatment response in adults with acute myeloid leukemia]

Objective: To explore the factors influencing early treatment responses in adult with de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML) . Methods: Data of consecutive newly-diagnosed AML (non-acute promyelocytic leukemia) adults were analyzed retrospectively. To assess the impact of clinical characteristics at diagnosis and induction regimen on achieving morphologic leukemia-free state (MLFS) , blood counts and minimal residual leukemia (MRD, positive MRD defined as RQ-PCR WT1 mRNA ≥0.6% and/or any level of abnormal blast population detected by flow cytometry) at the time of achieving MLFS. Results: 739 patients were included in this study. 406 (54.9%) patients were male, with a median age of 42 years (range, 18-65 years) . In the 721 evaluable patients, MLFS was achieved in 477 (66.2%) patients after the first induction regimen and 592 (82.1%) within two cycles. A total of 634 patients (87.9%) achieved MLFS, including 534 (84.2%) achieving a complete remission (CR, defined as MLFS with ANC ≥ 1×10(9)/L and PLT ≥ 100×10(9)/L) , 100 (15.8%) achieving a CRi (defined as MLFS with incomplete ANC or PLT recovery) , respectively. 260 (45.9%) patients of 566 (89.3%) who detected MRD at the time of achieving MLFS had positive MRD. Multivariate analyses showed that female gender, favorable-risk of SWOG criteria, IA10 and HAA/HAD as induction regimen were factors associated with achieving early MLFS. In addition, low bone marrow blasts, HGB ≥ 80 g/L, PLT counts<30×10(9)/L and mutated NPM1 without FLT3-ITD were factors associated with achieving MLFS after the first induction regimen; Negative FLT3-ITD mutation was factor associated with achieving MLFS within two cycles. PLT counts ≥30×10(9)/L and IA10, IA8 or HAA/HAD as induction chemotherapy were factors associated with achieving CR. Female gender, favorable-risk of SWOG criteria, FLT3-ITD mutation negative, mutated NPM1 without FLT3-ITD were factors associated with negative MRD. Conclusions: Female gender, favorable molecular markers or cytogenetics, and standard-dose induction regimen were key factors associated with higher probability of early and deep responses in adults with AML.

[The surgical treatment of middle ear cholesteatoma complicated with peripheral facial paralysis (with 22 cases)]

Objective:To summarize the clinical characteristics, the surgical methods and the recovery of facial nerve function outcomes in patients with the middle ear cholesteatoma complicated with peripheral facial paralysis.Method:Retrospective analysis method was used on patients treated for middle ear cholesteatoma associated with peripheral facial paralysis. Facial nerve decompression and great auricular nerve grafting were performed for restoration of facial nerve. Facial nerve function was assessed with the House-Brackmann (H-B) grade scale. Spearman test was employed for statistic analysis.Result:Surgical exploration revealed that the cholesteatoma was mainly located in epitympanic cavity, mastoid and sinus tympani, which mainly damaged the tympanic segment of facial nerve. Nineteen cases with facial nerve edema, including complete sheath (n=15) and sheath defect (n=4), were performed decompression. Among which 15 recovered to H-B Ⅰ, 3 recovered to H-B Ⅱ, 1 recovered to H-B Ⅳ. Three cases with facial nerve disrupt underwent great auricular nerve grafting, 1 recovered to H-B Ⅳ, 2 recovered to H-BⅤ. The rate of recovery to H-B Ⅰ or Ⅱ in patients underwent surgery within 2 weeks was 92.3%(12/13).Conclusion:When the middle ear cholesteatoma complicated with peripheral facial paralysis, surgery should be carried out as soon as possible. After removed the cholesteatoma completely, facial nerve decompression could acquire a better facial nerve function recovery compared to great auricular grafting.

[Minimal residual disease level predicts outcomes in the non-favorable risk patients with acute myeloid leukemia]

Objective: To explore impact of minimal residual leukemia (MRD) on outcomes in the non-favorable risk adults with de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML) . Methods: From January 2008 to February 2016, data of consecutive newly-diagnosed non-favorable risk adults with AML (non-APL) according to SWOG criteria who achieved morphologic leukemia-free state (MLFS) and received continuous chemotherapy were assessed retrospectively. Results: 292 AML patients were enrolled, 150 (51.4%) were male. Median age was 46 years (range, 18-65 years) . Using the SWOG cytogenetic classification, 186 (63.7%) , 49 (16.8%) and 57 (19.5%) patients belonged to intermediate, unfavorable and unknown categories, respectively. With a median follow-up period of 15 months (range, 1 to 94 months) in survivors, the probabilities of cumulative rates of relapse (CIR) , disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) at 2-years were 51.6%, 42.6% and 60.0%, respectively. Multivariate analyses showed that MRD positive (defined as Q-PCR WT1 mRNA ≥0.6% or any level of abnormal blast population detected by flow cytometry) after achieving MLFS and PLT<100×10(9)/L were common adverse factors affecting CIR and DFS. In addition, positive FLT3-ITD mutation and CRp/CRi had negatively impact on CIR, DFS and OS. Monosomal karyotype was adverse factors affecting CIR and OS. Age ≥44 years and unfavorable-risk of SWOG criteria were associated with shorter DFS. Conclusions: MRD level after achieving MLFS had prognostic significance on outcomes in non-favorable adults with AML who received continuous chemotherapy after achieving MLFS.

[Petrous bone cholesteatoma: surgery approach and outcomes]

Objective: To investigate the choice of surgical approach of petrous bone cholesteatoma (PBC)and surgical outcomes. Methods: A retrospective study was performed on 90 patients diagnosed and treated for PBC from January 2000 to December 2014 by the Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital otolaryngologists. According to Sanna's classification, 40 out of the 90 cases were supralabyrinthine, five infralabyrinthine, four infralabyrinthine-apical, 25 massive and 16 apical. Five cases underwent transmastoid and retrolabyrinthine approach, translabyrinthine approach was performed on six patients, 19 cases underwent subtotal petrosectomy, seven cases underwent transotic approach, 41 cases underwent middle fossa approach, combined transmastoid/middle fossa approach was performed on 11 cases, translabyrinthine and sphenoid sinus approach were performed on one case. Supralabyrinthine cases mainly applied middle fossa approach (77.5%, 31/40) and combined transmastoid and middle-fossa approach(20.0%, 8/40). Combined transmastoid-retrolabyrinthine approach were applied for all the infralabyrinthine cases (100.0%, 5/5). Infralabyrinthine-apical cases mainly applied subtotal petrosectomy (75.0%, 3/4). Massive cases mainly applied subtotal petrosectomy (60.0%, 15/25), transcochlear approach (20.0%, 5/25), and translabyrinthine approach (16.0%, 4/25). Apical cases mainly applied middle fossa approach (62.5%, 10/16). Results: Ninty percent (18/20) of the patients who had preoperative grade Ⅰ facial nerve function maintained in the postoperative period. Out of 90 cases, only 11 cases received open cavity, and the rest cases received cavityobliteration. There were three cases of recurrence, four cases of cavity infection, three cases of cerebrospinal fluid leakage, and one case of epidural hematoma, who all received surgeries. Conclusions: Sanna's classification should be used to classify different kinds of PBC cases, choose the best surgical approach for different cases, and preserve or repair facial function during removal of PBC, and thus reduce recurrence and complications.

[SOX10 mutation is relevant to inner ear malformation in patients with Waardenburg syndrome]

Objective: To determine the relevance between the SOX10 mutation and Waardenburg syndrome (WS) accompanied with inner ear abnormality by analyzing the inner ear imaging results and molecular and genetic results of the WS patients with the SOX10 mutation. Methods: This study included 36 WS in patients during 2001 and 2015 in the department of otorhinolaryngology head and neck surgery, Chinese Peoples's Liberation Army General Hospital. The condition of the inner ear of each patient was assessed by analyzing HRCT scans of the temporal bone and MRI scans of the brain and internal auditory canal. Meanwhile, the possible pathogenic genes of WS, including SOX10, MITF, and PAX3, were also screened. Patients were divided into two groups according to SOX10 mutation.The Fisher accuracy test was used to determine statistical difference of inner ear deformation incidence between the two groups. Results: Among all 36 patients, 12 were found to have inner ear abnormality. Most abnormalities were posterior semicircular canal deformations, some accompanied with cochlear deformation and an enlarged vestibule. Among all patients, 9 patients were SOX10 heterozygous mutation carriers, among which six showed bilateral inner ear abnormality. Fisher accuracy test results suggested a significant correlation between the SOX10 mutation and inner ear abnormality in WS patients (P=0.036). Conclusion: This study found that WS patients with the SOX10 mutation are more likely to have deformed inner ears when compared to WS patients without the SOX10 mutation.

Plasmonic reflection color filters with metallic random nanostructures

We develop reflective color filters with randomly distributed nanodisks and nanoholes fabricated with hydrogen silsesquioxane and Ag films on silicon substrate. They exhibit high resolution, angle-independence and easily up-scalable fabrication, which are the most important factors for color filters for industrial applications. We uncover the underlying mechanism after systematically analyzing the localized surface plasmon polariton coupling in the electric-field distribution. The agreement of the experimental results with those from the simulation indicates that tunable colors across the visible spectrum can be obtained by simply varying the diameter of the nanodisks, promoting their applications.

Identification of quantitative trait loci for mineral elements in grains and grass powder of barley

Mineral elements in barley (Hordeum vulgare) play an important physiological role in global human health. In this study, quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for concentration of nine mineral elements in barley grain and grass powder were detected in a population of 193 recombinant inbred lines of the barley cross Ziguangmangluoerling x Schooner and the parents. We observed large genetic variation contributing to element concentrations in both grains and grass powder. The mean K, Ca, and Fe concentrations in grass powder were 6.67, 12.00, and 4.58 times that of regenerating barley grains. In grains, 17 QTLs that accounted for 6.36-64.08% of the phenotypic variation in Zn, Mg, Ca, K, Na, Mn, Fe, and P concentrations were identified. In grass powder, seven QTLs were identified; these accounted for 6.03-21.86% of the variation in Ca, Zn, Mg, K, Fe, and Cu concentrations. These QTLs affecting elements in grain and grass powder are so far unreported in barley. To our knowledge, QTLs with pleiotropic effects for three elements were also identified for the first time in barley. The qK1/qMg1/qCa1 region between markers Bmag0211 and GBMS0014 on chromosome 1H was shown to have large additive effects for Mg, Ca, and K concentrations in grains. These additive effects indicated that the high element (Mg, Ca, Zn, Mn, and K) alleles were contributed by Ziguangmangluoerling. These results will further our understanding of the genetic basis of mineral elements and help us develop markers linked with mineral elements for marker-assisted selection breeding in barley.

[Forensic Analysis of 25 Cases of Unnatural Death in Custody]

OBJECTIVES

To screen and collect the cases of unnatural death in custody and analyze the influences and forensic characteristics.

METHODS

Total 25 cases of unnatural death in detainees in custody form 2000 to 2015 were collected. Some forensic characteristics such as gender, age, yearly incidence, causes of death, manner of death were analyzed. The public security custodies were also compared with the prisons.

RESULTS

All dead involved were male, mostly were young and middle-aged adults. It showed that the number of cases tended to decrease year by year. The incidence of the injury cases were higher in public security custodies （64.7%） than that in the prisons （12.5%）. However, there was a higher suicide rate in prisons （62.5%） than that in public security custodies （23.5%）. The mainly cause of death were injury and asphyxia, there were also some cases died from intoxication and electricity.

CONCLUSIONS

The cases of unnatural death in custody expose some problems such as the imperfectness of law enforcement standardization, supervision loopholes and poor medical standards. A comprehensive and detailed autopsy has important implications for the identification of cause of death in custody.