Poleward migration of tropical corals inhibited by future trends of seawater temperature and calcium carbonate (CaCO3) saturation

Poleward range expansion of marine organisms is commonly attributed to anthropogenic ocean warming. However, the extent to which a single species can migrate poleward remains unclear. In this study, we used molecular data to examine the current distribution of the Pocillopora damicornis species complex in Taiwan waters and applied niche modeling to predict its potential range through the end of the 21st Century. The P. damicornis species complex is widespread across shallow, tropical and subtropical waters of the Indo-Pacific regions. Our results revealed that populations from subtropical nonreefal coral communities are P. damicornis, whose native geographical ranges are approximately between 23°N and 35°N. In contrast, those from tropical reefs are P. acuta. Our analysis of 50 environmental data layers demonstrated that the concentrations of CaCO3 polymorphs had the greatest contributions to the distributions of the two species. Future projections under intermediate shared socioeconomic pathways (SSP) 2-4.5 and very high (SSP5-8.5) scenarios of greenhouse gas emissions showed that while sea surface temperature (SST) isotherms would shift northwards, saturation isolines of two CaCO3 polymorphs, calcite (Ωcal) and aragonite (Ωarag), would shift southwards by 2100. Subsequent predictions of future suitable habitats under those conditions indicated that distinct delimitation of geographical ranges for the two species would persist, and neither would extend beyond its native geographical zones, indicating that tropical Taiwan waters are the northern limit for P. acuta. In contrast, subtropical waters are the southern limit for P. damicornis. We concluded that the decline in CaCO3 saturation would make high latitudes less inhabitable, which could be one of the boundary elements that limit poleward range expansion driven by rising SSTs and preserve the latitudinal diversity gradient (LDG) on Earth. Consequently, poleward migration of tropical reef corals to cope with warming oceans should be reevaluated.

[Effects of immune responses mediated by topological structures of three-dimensional bioprinted scaffolds on hair follicle cycle in mice]

Objective: To explore the effects of the immune responses mediated by topological structures of three-dimensional bioprinted scaffolds on hair follicle cycle in mice. Methods: The study was an experimental research. The alginate-gelatin composite hydrogels were printed into scaffolds using a three-dimensional bioprinter and named T45 scaffolds, T60 scaffolds, and T90 scaffolds according to the 3 topological structures of the scaffolds (the rotation angles of the printhead during printing were 45°, 60°, and 90°, respectively), and the morphology of the three scaffolds was observed after cross-linking by naked eyes. Nine 8-week-old female C57BL/6J mice were divided into T45 group, T60 group, and T90 group, according to the random number table, with three mice in each group, and the T45, T60, and T90 scaffolds were subcutaneously implanted on the back of mice, respectively. On post implantation day (PID) 7, the hair growth in the dorsal depilated area of mice was observed, the thickness of the fiber capsule around the scaffolds was observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining, and the expression levels of CD68, bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) protein in the tissue surrounding the scaffolds were observed by immunofluorescence staining. The samples of the above experiments were all 3. Results: The topological structures of the three scaffolds were all clear with high fidelity after cross-linking. On PID 7, the hair growth was obvious in the dorsal depilated area of mice in T45 group and T90 group, while hair growth was slow in the scaffold implantation area of mice in T60 group, which was significantly different from that of the unimplanted area. On PID 7, compared with (18±4) μm in T90 group, the thickness of both the fiber capsule around the scaffolds ((39±4) and (55±8) μm) of mice in T45 group and T60 group was significantly increased (P<0.05); the thickness of the fiber capsule around the scaffolds of mice in T60 group was also significantly increased compared with that in T45 group (P<0.05). On PID 7, the expression level of CD68 protein in the tissue surrounding the scaffolds of mice in T60 group was significantly higher than the levels in T45 group and T90 group (with both P values <0.05). The expression level of BMP-2 protein in the tissue surrounding the scaffolds of mice in T60 group was significantly higher than the levels in T45 group and T90 group (with both P values <0.05), and the expression level of BMP-2 protein in the tissue surrounding the scaffolds of mice in T45 group was significantly higher than that in T90 group (P<0.05). The expression level of TNF protein in the tissue surrounding the scaffolds of mice in T60 group was significantly lower than the levels in T45 group and T90 group (with both P values <0.05). Conclusions: Three-dimensional bioprinted scaffolds with different topological structures mediate different degrees of immune responses after being implanted in mice. A moderate immune response promotes hair growth in depilated area of mice, while an excessive immune response results inhibits the hair follicle entering into the anagen phase.

[The clinical application value of brain 18F-FDG PET/CT in the diagnostics of Parkinsonian syndromes]

Objective: To analyze the PET/CT imaging features of fluoride 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) in patients with various types of Parkinson's syndrome (PS), and to establish a "diagnostic tree" model of 18F-FDG PET/CT for PS. Methods: Data of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), patients with multiple system atrophy cerebellar type (MSA-C), and patients with multiple system atrophy Parkinson's type (MSA-P)admitted to the Neurology Department of Huashan Hospital affiliated to Fudan University from January 2019 to December 2021. 18F-FDG PET/CT examination was conducted in all patients. Clinical and follow-up data was collected to determine clinical diagnosis. The specific patterns of brain glucose metabolism in patients with various types of Parkinsonism were observed and their utility in the differential diagnosis of the disease was analyzed. 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging"diagnostic tree"model was established and its value in the differential diagnosis of Parkinsonism was verified. Results: A total of 320 patients, 187 males and 133 females, aged (62±9) years, were enrolled in our study, including 80 PD, 90 PSP, 114 MSA-C and 36 MSA-P patients. The differential diagnostic features of cerebral glucose metabolism of Parkinsonism were as follows: the metabolism of putamen increased in PD patients, the metabolism of caudate nucleus, thalamus, midbrain, and frontal lobe decreased in PSP patients, the metabolism of cerebellum decreased in MSA-C patients, and the metabolism of putamen and cerebellum decreased in MSA-P patients. The sensitivity and specificity of the"diagnostic tree"model are 88.75% and 91.25% for PD diagnosis, 54.44% and 96.96% for PSP diagnosis, 87.72% and 86.41% for MSA-C diagnosis, and 55.56% and 91.55% for MSA-P diagnosis, respectively. It could correctly classify 75%(240/320) of patients. Conclusions: Characteristic metabolism patterns of brain in 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging is significant for the differential diagnosis of PD, PSP, MSA-C and MSA-P. The"diagnostic tree"model is valuable for clinical diagnosis.

[Long term follow-up evaluation of combined surgery for congenital tibial pseudarthrosis in children]

Objective: To explore the long-term effect of combined surgery for the treatment of congenital tibial pseudarthrosis in children. Methods: The clinical data of 44 children with congenital tibial pseudarthrosis who underwent combined surgery (tibial pseudarthrosis tissue resection, intramedullary rod fixation, Ilizarov external fixator fixation, wrapped autologous iliac bone graft) from August 2007 to October 2011 at the Department of Pediatric Orthopedics, Hunan Children's Hospital were collected retrospectively. There were 33 males and 11 females. The age at the time of surgery was (3.7±2.2)years (range:0.6 to 12.4 years), including 25 cases under 3 years old and 19 cases above 3 years old.Among them, 37 cases were complicated with neurofibromatosis type 1.The operation status, postoperative complications and follow-up results were recorded. Results: The follow-up time after surgery was (10.9±0.7)years (range:10 to 11 years).Thirty-nine out of 44 patients (88.6%) achieved initial healing of tibial pseudarthrosis, with an average healing time of (4.3±1.1)months (range:3 to 10months).In the last follow-up, 36 cases (81.8%) had unequal tibial length, 20 cases (45.4%) had refractures, 18 cases (40.9%) had ankle valgus, 9 cases (20.4%) had proximal tibial valgus, and 11 cases (25.0%) had high arched feet.Nine cases (20.4%) developed distal tibial epiphyseal plate bridging.17 cases (38.6%) had abnormal tibial mechanical axis.Seven cases (15.9%) developed needle infection, and one case (2.3%) developed tibial osteomyelitis. 21 patients (47.7%) had excessive growth of the affected femur.Five patients (11.3%) had ankle stiffness, and 34 patients (77.2%) had intramedullary rod displacement that was not in the center of the tibial medullary cavity.Among them, 8 cases (18.1%) protruded the tibial bone cortex and underwent intramedullary rod removal.18 children have reached skeletal maturity, while 26 children have not been followed up until skeletal maturity. Conclusion: Combined surgery for the treatment of congenital pseudarthrosis of the tibia in children has a high initial healing rate, but complications such as unequal tibia length, refracture, and ankle valgus occur during long-term follow-up, requiring multiple surgical treatments.

[A multicenter epidemiological study of acute bacterial meningitis in children]

Objective: To analyze the clinical epidemiological characteristics including composition of pathogens , clinical characteristics, and disease prognosis acute bacterial meningitis (ABM) in Chinese children. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical and laboratory data of 1 610 children <15 years of age with ABM in 33 tertiary hospitals in China from January 2019 to December 2020. Patients were divided into different groups according to age,<28 days group, 28 days to <3 months group, 3 months to <1 year group, 1-<5 years of age group, 5-<15 years of age group; etiology confirmed group and clinically diagnosed group according to etiology diagnosis. Non-numeric variables were analyzed with the Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test, while non-normal distrituction numeric variables were compared with nonparametric test. Results: Among 1 610 children with ABM, 955 were male and 650 were female (5 cases were not provided with gender information), and the age of onset was 1.5 (0.5, 5.5) months. There were 588 cases age from <28 days, 462 cases age from 28 days to <3 months, 302 cases age from 3 months to <1 year of age group, 156 cases in the 1-<5 years of age and 101 cases in the 5-<15 years of age. The detection rates were 38.8% (95/245) and 31.5% (70/222) of Escherichia coli and 27.8% (68/245) and 35.1% (78/222) of Streptococcus agalactiae in infants younger than 28 days of age and 28 days to 3 months of age; the detection rates of Streptococcus pneumonia, Escherichia coli, and Streptococcus agalactiae were 34.3% (61/178), 14.0% (25/178) and 13.5% (24/178) in the 3 months of age to <1 year of age group; the dominant pathogens were Streptococcus pneumoniae and the detection rate were 67.9% (74/109) and 44.4% (16/36) in the 1-<5 years of age and 5-<15 years of age . There were 9.7% (19/195) strains of Escherichia coli producing ultra-broad-spectrum β-lactamases. The positive rates of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture and blood culture were 32.2% (515/1 598) and 25.0% (400/1 598), while 38.2% (126/330)and 25.3% (21/83) in CSF metagenomics next generation sequencing and Streptococcus pneumoniae antigen detection. There were 4.3% (32/790) cases of which CSF white blood cell counts were normal in etiology confirmed group. Among 1 610 children with ABM, main intracranial imaging complications were subdural effusion and (or) empyema in 349 cases (21.7%), hydrocephalus in 233 cases (14.5%), brain abscess in 178 cases (11.1%), and other cerebrovascular diseases, including encephalomalacia, cerebral infarction, and encephalatrophy, in 174 cases (10.8%). Among the 166 cases (10.3%) with unfavorable outcome, 32 cases (2.0%) died among whom 24 cases died before 1 year of age, and 37 cases (2.3%) had recurrence among whom 25 cases had recurrence within 3 weeks. The incidences of subdural effusion and (or) empyema, brain abscess and ependymitis in the etiology confirmed group were significantly higher than those in the clinically diagnosed group (26.2% (207/790) vs. 17.3% (142/820), 13.0% (103/790) vs. 9.1% (75/820), 4.6% (36/790) vs. 2.7% (22/820), χ²=18.71, 6.20, 4.07, all P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in the unfavorable outcomes, mortility, and recurrence between these 2 groups (all P>0.05). Conclusions: The onset age of ABM in children is usually within 1 year of age, especially <3 months. The common pathogens in infants <3 months of age are Escherichia coli and Streptococcus agalactiae, and the dominant pathogen in infant ≥3 months is Streptococcus pneumoniae. Subdural effusion and (or) empyema and hydrocephalus are common complications. ABM should not be excluded even if CSF white blood cell counts is within normal range. Standardized bacteriological examination should be paid more attention to increase the pathogenic detection rate. Non-culture CSF detection methods may facilitate the pathogenic diagnosis.

[Safety and feasibility of stereotactic radiation therapy on porcine ventricular septum: a preliminary study]

Objective: To explore the safety and feasibility of stereotactic radiation therapy (SBRT) strategy for irradiating porcine ventricular septum, see if can provide a preliminary experimental evidence for clinical SBRT in patients with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM). Methods: Five male pigs (39-49 kg, 6 months old) were used in this study. Pigs were irradiated at doses of 25 Gy (n=2) or 40 Gy (n=3). Delineation of the target volume was achieved under the guidance of 3-dimensional CT image reconstruction, and SBRT was then performed on defined target volume of porcine ventricular septum. Blood biomarkers, electrocardiogram and echocardiography parameters were monitored before and after SBRT. Pathological examination (HE staining, Masson staining) was performed on the target and non-target myocardium at 6 months post SBRT. Results: SBRT was successful and all animals survived to the designed study endpoint (6 months) after SBRT. Serum cardiac troponin T (cTnT) level was significantly higher than the baseline level at 1 day post SBRT, and reduced at 1 week after SBRT, but was still higher than the baseline level(P<0.05). Serum N-terminal pro-B type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) was also significantly increased at 1 day post SBRT (P<0.05) and returned to baseline level at 1 week post SBRT. The serum NT-proBNP level was (249±78), (594±37) and (234±46) pg/ml, respectively, and the cTnT was (14±7), (240±40) and (46±34) pg/ml, respectively at baseline, 1 day and 1 week after SBRT in the 40 Gy dose group. The serum NT-proBNP level was (184±20), (451±49) and (209±36) pg/ml, respectively, the cTnT values ​​were (9±1), (176±29) and (89±27) pg/ml, respectively at baseline, 1 day and 1 week after SBRT in the 25 Gy dose group. Both NT-proBNP and cTnT values tended to be higher post SBRT in the 40 Gy dose group as compared with the 25 Gy dose group, but the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05). The left ventricular ejection fraction and the left ventricular end-diastolic diameter remained unchanged before and after SBRT (P>0.05). The interventricular septum thickness showed a decreasing trend at 6 months after SBRT, but the difference was not statistically significant ((9.54±0.24) mm vs. (9.82±8.00) mm, P>0.05). The flow velocity of the left ventricular outflow tract, and the valve function and morphology were not affected by SBRT. At 6 months after SBRT, HE staining revealed necrosis in the irradiated target area of ​​the myocardium in the 40 Gy dose group and the 25 Gy dose group, and the degree of necrosis in the irradiated interventricular septum was more obvious in the 40 Gy dose group as compared with the 25 Gy group. The combined histological analysis of the two groups showed that the necrotic area of ​​the irradiated target area accounted for (26±9)% of the entire interventricular septum area, which was higher than that of the non-irradiated area (0) (P<0.05). There was no damage or necrosis of myocardial tissue outside the target irradiation area in both groups. The results of Masson staining showed that the percentage area of myocardial fibrosis was significantly higher in the irradiated target area than non-irradiated area ((12.6±5.3)% vs. (2.5±0.8)%, P<0.05). Conclusion: SBRT is safe and feasible for irradiating porcine ventricular septum.

[Secondhand smoke exposure and its influencing factors among Chinese people aged 15 years and above in 2010 and 2018]

Objective: To investigate secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure among non-current smokers aged 15 and over and its influencing factors in China in 2010 and 2018. Methods: The 2010 and 2018 China Adult Tobacco Surveys used multistage stratified cluster random sampling methods to obtain national representative samples across 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) in China. This study selected non-current smokers aged 15 and over as the research subjects to describe the general demographic characteristics, perceptions of SHS hazards, attitudes towards smoking bans in indoor areas in public places, and SHS exposure and the smoking restriction regulations in different places. The Rao-Scott χ2 test was used to compare the rates, and the unconditional logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of SHS exposure. All the subjects in the analysis were weighted based on a complex sampling design. Results: Among non-current smokers aged 15 and over, from 2010 to 2018, the percentage of indoor smokers had decreased from 84.7% to 71.9%. The rates of people who saw smoking in various places declined with a statistically significant difference (P<0.001). The exposure to SHS for females, people aged 45-64, teachers, medical staff, workers in enterprises, businesses, waiters, and people who live in rural and central areas declined. The differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). In 2018, the percentage of SHS exposure for those who reported a comprehensive smoking ban in households or allowed smoking in certain areas was lower than for those who reported allowed or without a smoking ban. Among those aged 25-44, SHS exposure for those who reported complete smoking prohibition in workplaces was lower than those who reported allowed or without smoking prohibition (OR=0.65, 95%CI: 0.49-0.87). The proportion of SHS exposure for those who believe that smoking should not be allowed in indoor areas of 0-5 public places is higher than that smoking should not be allowed in the indoor spaces of 8 public places (OR=2.13, 95%CI: 1.35-3.36). Among people aged 45-64, the proportions of SHS exposure for teachers (OR=0.37, 95%CI: 0.17-0.78) and medical staff (OR=0.35, 95%CI: 0.16-0.76) and staff working in agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, fishery, and water conservancy were lower than governmental staff (OR=0.49, 95%CI: 0.29-0.84). Conclusions: Data from the decreased exposure of Chinese non-current smokers aged 15 and over to SHS suggests the initial achievement through constructing a smoke-free environment, but continued efforts are needed. It is necessary to actively advocate for smoke-free families, strengthen publicity and education on the hazards of tobacco and SHS, and improve the skills of non-smokers in rejecting SHS exposure.

[Analysis of clinical features and etiological diagnostic indices of reproductive age women with hyperandrogenism]

Objective: To investigate the clinical features and the value of different diagnostic indices for etiology in reproductive age women with hyperandrogenism. Methods: The medical records of 96 reproductive age women with hyperandrogenism in the multi-disciplinary team of Peking University First Hospital from January 2020 to April 2021 were collected. The patients were divided into four groups based on final diagnosis: congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) (n=8), polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) (n=67), idiopathic hyperandrogenism (n=13) and other specific diseases (n=8), respectively. The indices related to androgens in different groups were compared, and then their efficiency for diagnosis of CAH and PCOS were analyzed with receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve). Results: A total of 96 patients with hyperandrogenism were recruited, with the age of 19-45 (29±6) years old. Overall, 4.2% (4/96) of the patients were with single clinical hyperandrogenism, 56.3% (54/96) were with single laboratory hyperandrogenaemia and 39.6% (38/96) were with both. The breakdown into laboratory hyperandrogenaemia subtypes was as follows: only T elevation 22.8% (21/92), only A2 elevation 7.6% (7/92), none DHEAS elevation, only FAI elevation 5.4% (5/92) and elevation of more than one of the androgen indices mentioned above accounted for 64.1% (59/92). In the reasons of consultation, simple irregular menstruation (36.0%, 32/89) or accompanied by clinical hyperandrogenism with or without infertility (36.0%, 32/89) were the most common. As for primary visiting departments, Obstetrics and Gynecology accounted for 53.2% (51/96), and then Endocrinology as 39.5% (38/96). The 17-OHP level of CAH, PCOS and idiopathic hyperandrogenism group was 20.0 (8.2, 33.1), 1.1 (0.8, 1.4), 0.9 (0.8, 1.3) ng/ml, respectively. The androstenedione level in these groups was 6.3 (4.6, 8.7), 3.8 (2.9, 4.8) and 3.2 (2.7, 3.7) ng/ml, respectively. The 17-OHP and androstenedione levels of CAH group were significantly higher than that in PCOS or idiopathic hyperandrogenism group (all P<0.05). The ratio of LH and FSH in these three groups was 0.8(0.5, 1.0), 1.3(0.6, 1.9) and 0.6(0.3, 0.7), respectively. The ratio of LH and FSH was significantly higher in PCOS than that in idiopathic hyperandrogenism group (P=0.024), but yet there was no significant difference compared with CAH group (P>0.05). The AUC of ROC curve of 17-OHP for CAH diagnosis was 0.94, followed by androstenedione 0.83, whereas LH/FSH for PCOS diagnosis was only 0.63. Conclusions: Among the reasons of consultation in reproductive age women who visited our multi-disciplinary team for female hyperandrogenism, simple irregular menstruation or accompanied by clinical hyperandrogenism with or without infertility are the most common. PCOS accounts for the majority of different androgen excess disorders. 17-OHP is the most valuable parameter for the diagnosis of CAH and secondly androstenedione.

Heat Transport in Herbertsmithite: Can a Quantum Spin Liquid Survive Disorder?

One favorable situation for spins to enter the long-sought quantum spin liquid (QSL) state is when they sit on a kagome lattice. No consensus has been reached in theory regarding the true ground state of this promising platform. The experimental efforts, relying mostly on one archetypal material ZnCu_{3}(OH)_{6}Cl_{2}, have also led to diverse possibilities. Apart from subtle interactions in the Hamiltonian, there is the additional degree of complexity associated with disorder in the real material ZnCu_{3}(OH)_{6}Cl_{2} that haunts most experimental probes. Here we resort to heat transport measurement, a cleaner probe in which instead of contributing directly, the disorder only impacts the signal from the kagome spins. For ZnCu_{3}(OH)_{6}Cl_{2}, we observed no contribution by any spin excitation nor obvious field-induced change to the thermal conductivity. These results impose strong constraints on various scenarios about the ground state of this kagome compound: while certain quantum paramagnetic states other than a QSL may serve as natural candidates, a QSL state, gapless or gapped, must be dramatically modified by the disorder so that the kagome spin excitations are localized.

[Related factors for hyperkalemia and its recurrence in maintenance hemodialysis patients]

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of hyperkalemia and recurrent hyperkalemia in maintenance hemodialysis patients, and identify the related factors. Methods: The general information and clinical data of maintenance hemodialysis patients in the hemodialysis center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January to December 2020 were collected. According to the level of serum potassium, the patients were divided into normokalemia group and hyperkalemia group. Patients in the hyperkalemia group were further divided into single hyperkalemia group and recurrent hyperkalemia group according to the number of occurrences of hyperkalemia. Then, the prevalence of different serum potassium abnormalities and the related factors were explored. Results: Among the 352 patients included in the final analysis, 129 cases (36.6%) were in the normokalemia group [mean age: (62±15) years, 99 males] and 223 cases (63.4%) were in the hyperkalemia group [mean age: (60±14) years, 153 males]. Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that, compared with the normokalemia group, night-time dialysis (OR=4.012, 95%CI: 1.519-10.601, P=0.005), concurrent diabetes (OR=1.947, 95%CI: 1.148-3.304, P=0.013) and the number of serum potassium tested before hemodialysis (OR=1.561, 95%CI:1.292-1.885, P<0.001) were independent risk factors for hyperkalemia. Among 223 patients with hyperkalemia, 78 cases (35.0%) were in single hyperkalemia group and 145 cases (65.0%) were in recurrent hyperkalemia group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that, serum calcium (OR=21.885, 95%CI: 3.740-128.077, P=0.001), peak value of serum potassium before hemodialysis (OR=63.157, 95%CI: 25.265-157.876, P<0.001) and the number of serum potassium tested before hemodialysis (OR=1.814, 95%CI: 1.378-2.388, P<0.001) were the independent risk factors for the recurrence of hyperkalemia. Conclusions: The prevalence of hyperkalemia is high in maintenance hemodialysis patients, especially in those with diabetes or night-time dialysis. It is necessary to monitor serum potassium regularly. In addition, high serum calcium and peak value of serum potassium before hemodialysis are related factors for recurrent hyperkalemia.

[Effects of anti-liver fibrosis treatment on the occurrence of liver cancer in patients with hepatitis B-related liver cirrhosis]

Objective: To investigate the effect of anti-liver fibrosis treatment on the occurrence of liver cancer in patients with hepatitis B-related liver cirrhosis within three years. Methods: 1,049 cases with hepatitis B-related liver cirrhosis who were hospitalized in Beijing Ditan Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University from October 2008 to August 2016 were enrolled. Clinical data were collected, and COX regression analysis was used to find the independent influencing factors for the occurrence of liver cancer in patients with hepatitis B-related liver cirrhosis within three years. According to whether the patients had received anti-liver fibrosis treatment for ≥ 6 months, they were divided into combination and antiviral group. There were 388 cases in combination group and 661 cases in antiviral group. In addition, the combination group received anti-liver fibrosis therapy with Chinese patent medicine on the basis of antivirus, and the antiviral group received antiviral treatment. The incidence of liver cancer within three years were compared between the two groups, and the incidence of liver cancer in patients with different Child-Pugh grades and mPAGE-B risks was further analyzed. The independent samples t-test, Mann Whitney U test, χ2 test or Fisher's exact probability method were used for data comparison. Results: Anti-liver fibrosis treatment was an independent protective factor to prevent liver cancer in patients with hepatitis B-related liver cirrhosis within 3 years (P < 0.05). The incidence of liver cancer in the combination group was lower than antiviral group within 3 years (10.3% vs. 15.4%, χ (2) = 5.480, P < 0.05). Child-Pugh stratified analysis showed that the risk of liver cancer was significantly reduced in Child-Pugh grade A patients (6.7% vs. 12.6%, χ (2) = 2.857, P = 0.040). Among high-risk patients with mPAGE-B, the incidence of liver cancer was significantly lower in combination group than control group (13.7% vs. 19.9%, χ (2) = 6.671, P = 0.031). Conclusion: Compared to antiviral therapy alone, combined anti-liver fibrosis and antiviral therapy can reduce the liver cancer occurrence risk in patients with hepatitis B-related liver cirrhosis for 3 years. Patients with Child-Pugh grade A and high-risk group by mPAGE-B scores are the dominant population to receive treatment.

[Effect of autoflation on the prognosis of otitis media with effusion in children]

Objective: To investigate the effect of autoinflation on the prognosis of OME in children. Methods: Total of 325 pediatric patients, age ranged from 3 to 8 years, with OME(486 ears)diagnosed in our department from January 2019 to January 2020 were collected. Among them, 177 were males, 148 were females. Disease course ranged from 25 to 86 days. According to watchful waiting and autoinflation application during follow-up, these children were divided into two groups including 183 cases(271 ears) and 142 cases(215 ears), respectively. The average auditory threshold and tympanogram curve type in two groups were analyzed in the period of 3 months follow-up, and the recovery of OME was evaluated. Results: At the end of 1- and 2- month follow-up, the auditory threshold of patients in autoinflation group was significantly lower than that in watchful waiting group (t=2.139 5 and 2.680 6, P<0.05). However, at the end of 3- month follow-up, there was no significant difference between two groups (t=1.158 5, P>0.05). At the end of 1-, 2- and 3- month follow-up, 89 (33%, 89/271), 200 (74%, 200/271), 220 (81%, 220/271) and 176 (82%, 176/215), 178 (83%, 178/215), 183 (85%, 183/215) ears in watchful waiting group and autoinflation group had a hearing threshold <20 dB HL, respectively, in which ears with auditory threshold<20 dB HL in watchful waiting group were significantly less than those in autoinflation group at the end of 1 and 2 month follow-up (P<0.05), However, ears with auditory threshold<20 dB HL in watchful waiting group were not significantly different from that in the autoflation group at the end of 3- month follow-up (P>0.05). The proportion of ears with type A tympanogram curve was 74%(159/215), 79%(170/215), and 85%(183/215) at the end of 1-, 2- and 3- month follow-up in autoinflation group and 36%(98/271), 71%(192/271) and 76%(206/271) in watchful waiting group, respectively. Proportion of ears with type A tympanogram curve in autoflation group was significantly higher than that in watchful waiting group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Autoinflation can improve the hearing of children with OME in early stage, restore normal middle ear pressure, increase recovery rate, and reduce the choice of surgical treatment of OME.

Measurement of the Cosmic Ray Helium Energy Spectrum from 70 GeV to 80 TeV with the DAMPE Space Mission

The measurement of the energy spectrum of cosmic ray helium nuclei from 70 GeV to 80 TeV using 4.5 years of data recorded by the Dark Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE) is reported in this work. A hardening of the spectrum is observed at an energy of about 1.3 TeV, similar to previous observations. In addition, a spectral softening at about 34 TeV is revealed for the first time with large statistics and well controlled systematic uncertainties, with an overall significance of 4.3σ. The DAMPE spectral measurements of both cosmic protons and helium nuclei suggest a particle charge dependent softening energy, although with current uncertainties a dependence on the number of nucleons cannot be ruled out.

Giant isotropic magneto-thermal conductivity of metallic spin liquid candidate Pr2Ir2O7 with quantum criticality

Spin liquids are exotic states with no spontaneous symmetry breaking down to zero-temperature because of the highly entangled and fluctuating spins in frustrated systems. Exotic excitations like magnetic monopoles, visons, and photons may emerge from quantum spin ice states, a special kind of spin liquids in pyrochlore lattices. These materials usually are insulators, with an exception of the pyrochlore iridate Pr2Ir2O7, which was proposed as a metallic spin liquid located at a zero-field quantum critical point. Here we report the ultralow-temperature thermal conductivity measurements on Pr2Ir2O7. The Wiedemann-Franz law is verified at high fields and inferred at zero field, suggesting no breakdown of Landau quasiparticles at the quantum critical point, and the absence of mobile fermionic excitations. This result puts strong constraints on the description of the quantum criticality in Pr2Ir2O7. Unexpectedly, although the specific heats are anisotropic with respect to magnetic field directions, the thermal conductivities display the giant but isotropic response. This indicates that quadrupolar interactions and quantum fluctuations are important, which will help determine the true ground state of this material.

Modifiable factors related to 7-year renal outcomes in subjects with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease stage 3

Background and Aims

Subjects with diabetes are prone to a rapid decline in renal function and major adverse cardiovascular events when they reach chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 3. This study aimed to identify modifiable risk factors associated with the progression of CKD in this population.

Settings and Design

An observational cohort study.

Methods and Materials

A total of 320 type 2 diabetic patients with CKD stage 3 registered in the shared-care-system in our hospital in 2010 were regularly followed up for 7 years. Demographic, laboratory, medication, and fundus examination data of these subjects were collected and analyzed.

Statistical Analysis Used

Cox regression was used to identify factors associated with changes in CKD stage.

Results

During the 7-year follow-up period, 204 cases (63.7%) remained at CKD stage 3 while 79 cases (24.7%) progressed to stage 4 or 5 and 37 cases (11.6%) improved to stage 1 or 2. The change in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in the first 2 years and variations in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) over 7 years were independent factors of both progression (hazard ratio (HR) 1.098 and 1.710, respectively) and improvement (HR 0.919 and 0.231, respectively) of CKD stage. Variations in systolic blood pressure (SBP) was also found as an independent factor for progression of renal function (HR 1.052).

Conclusions

Our results demonstrated that fluctuations in HbA1c and SBP, and changes in eGFR during the first 2 years of treatment were associated with the long-term renal outcomes in type 2 diabetic patients with CKD stage 3.

[A multicentric study on clinical characteristics and antibiotic sensitivity in children with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection]

Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics of pediatric methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection and the antibiotic sensitivity of the isolates. Methods: The clinical data of children with MRSA infection and antibiotic sensitivity of the isolates from 11 children's hospitals in Infectious Diseases Surveillance of Paediatrics (ISPED) group of China between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2018 were collected retrospectively. The children's general condition, high-risk factors, antimicrobial therapy and prognosis, differences in clinical disease and laboratory test results between different age groups, and differences of antibiotic sensitivity between community-acquired (CA)-MRSA and hospital-acquired (HA)-MRSA were analyzed. The t test and Wilcoxon rank sum test were used for statistical analysis of the quantitative data and Chi-square test were used for comparison of rates. Results: Among the 452 patients, 264 were males and 188 were females, aged from 2 days to 17 years. There were 233 cases (51.5%) in the ≤1 year old group, 79 cases (17.5%) in the>1-3 years old group, 29 cases (6.4%) in the >3-5 years old group, 65 cases (14.4%) in the >5-10 years old group, and 46 cases (10.2%) in the>10 years old group. The main distributions of onset seasons were 55 cases (12.2%) in December, 47 cases (10.4%) in February, 46 cases (10.2%) in November, 45 cases (10.0%) in January, 40 cases (8.8%) in March. There were 335 cases (74.1%) CA-MRSA and 117 (25.9%) cases HA-MRSA. Among all cases, 174 cases (38.5%) had basic diseases or long-term use of hormone and immunosuppressive drugs. During the period of hospitalization, 209 cases (46.2%) received medical interventions. There were 182 patients (40.3%) had used antibiotics (β-lactams, glycopeptides, macrolides, carbapenems, oxazolones, sulfonamides etc) 3 months before admission. The most common clinical disease was pneumonia (203 cases), followed by skin soft-tissue infection (133 cases), sepsis (92 cases), deep tissue abscess (42 cases), osteomyelitis (40 cases), and septic arthritis (26 cases), suppurative meningitis (10 cases). The proportion of pneumonia in the ≤1 year old group was higher than the >1-3 years old group,>3-5 years old group,>5-10 years old group,>10 years old group (57.5% (134/233) vs. 30.4% (24/79), 31.0% (9/29), 38.5% (25/65), 23.9% (11/46), χ(2)=17.374, 7.293, 7.410, 17.373, all P<0.01) The proportion of skin and soft tissue infections caused by CA-MRSA infection was higher than HA-MRSA (33.4% (112/335) vs. 17.9% (21/117), χ(2)=10.010, P=0.002), and the proportion of pneumonia caused by HA-MRSA infection was higher than CA-MRSA (53.0% (62/117) vs. 42.1% (141/335), χ(2)=4.166, P=0.041). The first white blood cell count of the ≤1 year old group was higher than that children > 1 year old ((15±8)×10(9)/L vs. (13±7)×10(9)/L, t=2.697, P=0.007), while the C-reactive protein of the ≤1 year old group was lower than the 1-3 years old group,>5-10 years old group,>10 years old group (8.00 (0.04-194.00) vs.17.00 (0.50-316.00), 15.20 (0.23-312.00), 21.79(0.13-219.00) mg/L, Z=3.207, 2.044, 2.513, all P<0.05), there were no significant differences in procalcitonin (PCT) between different age groups (all P>0.05). After the treatment, 131 cases were cured, 278 cases were improved, 21 cases were not cured, 12 cases died, and 10 cases were abandoned. The 452 MRSA isolates were all sensitive to vancomycin (100.0%), linezolid (100.0%), 100.0% resistant to penicillin, highly resistant to erythromycin (85.0%, 375/441), clindamycin (67.7%, 294/434), less resistant to sulfonamides (5.9%, 23/391), levofloxacin (4.5%, 19/423), gentamicin (3.2%, 14/438), rifampicin (1.8%, 8/440), minocycline (1.1%, 1/91). The antimicrobial resistance rates were not significantly different between the CA-MRSA and HA-MRSA groups (all P>0.05). Conclusions: The infection of MRSA is mainly found in infants under 3 years old. The prevalent seasons are winter and spring, and MRSA is mainly acquired in the community. The main clinical diseases are pneumonia, skin soft-tissue infection and sepsis. No MRSA isolate is resistant to vancomycin, linezolid. MRSA isolates are generally sensitive to sulfonamides, levofloxacin, gentamicin, rifampicin, minocycline, and were highly resistant to erythromycin and clindamycin. To achieve better prognosis. clinicians should initiate anti-infective treatment for children with MRSA infection according to the clinical characteristics of patients and drug sensitivity of the isolates timely and effectively.

Regulation of epithelial mesenchymal transition by the renin-angiotensin system: a role for klotho in renal tubular epithelial cells

Klotho is a putative aging suppressor gene that is primarily expressed in renal tubular epithelial cells. Its expression has been reported to protect against fibrosis in human chronic kidney disease. However, the roles of klotho in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and renal fibrosis are yet to be elucidated. The present study aimed to investigate the putative roles of klotho in angiotensin (Ang) II-induced damage of renal tubular epithelial cells. NRK-52E rat cells were treated with various combinations of Ang II, the Ang-converting enzyme inhibitor fosinopril (Fos) and the Ang II receptor antagonist valsartan (Val). The levels of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, soluble klotho, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and E-cadherin in NRK-52E culture supernatants were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Furthermore, the mRNA and protein expression of TGF-β1, klotho, α-SMA and E-cadherin was detected using semiquantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, immunocytochemistry and Western blot analysis. The results demonstrated that Ang II inhibited the expression of klotho and E-cadherin, while it upregulated the expression of TGF-β1 and α-SMA, in NRK52E cells. Fos and/or Val were revealed to enhance klotho and E-cadherin expression, and suppress the expression of TGF-β1 and α-SMA, compared with the Ang II-only group. Furthermore, a positive linear correlation was detected between the expression of klotho and E-cadherin, while negative linear correlations with klotho expression were detected for TGF-β1 and α-SMA expression. In conclusion, the expression of klotho was demonstrated to be enhanced following treatment with Fos and Val in Ang II-treated NRK-52E cells. The present results indicate that klotho may be involved in the inhibition of Ang II-induced EMT in renal tubular epithelial cells. Therefore, klotho may serve as a protective factor in renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis and aid the treatment of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients using precision therapy.

[Clinical phenotype and immunological features of a patient with A20 haploinsufficiency]

Objective: To explore the clinical phenotype, immunological features, pathogenesis and gene variation of a case with A20 haploinsufficiency (HA20). Methods: A patient diagnosed with tumor necrosis factor α-induced protein 3 (TNFAIP3) mutated HA20 was admitted into Shenzhen Children's Hospital in May,2019.The clinical data was analyzed. Flow cytometry was used to detect the patient's peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets, and also, the percentage of follicular helper T cell (TFH) cells in the patient and thirteen healthy controls. After the construction of empty vector, wild-type and mutant plasmid vectors, a wild-type or mutant overexpression system of the TNFAIP3 gene was established in 293T cells and Hela cells. Then, the expression level of A20 in 293T cells and the expression of inhibitor K binding α (IKBα) in green fluorescent protein (GFP)+Hela cells before and after tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) stimulation were measured, to verify the pathogenicity of this variation. Results: A 5 years and 11 months old boy, presented with recurrent oral ulcer, abdominal pain, joint swelling and arthralgia. Oral ulcer, chronic skin rashes, knee joint swelling were observed. The levels of inflammatory markers were increased. Colonoscopy showed congestion of mucosa and multiple ulcers in terminal ileum and ileocecus. The absolute number of naive B cells was 124×10(6) cells/L (reference range 147×10(6)-431×10(6) cells/L), accounting for 0.430 of the total B cells (reference range 0.484-0.758). Compared to healthy controls (0.016-0.071), the percentage of TFH cells in CD4(+)T cells was much lower (0.008).A heterozygous mutation of TNFAIP3 gene (c.909_913 del, p.L303fs) was identified by genetic analysis. In vitro study showed that truncated A20 protein was expressed in TNFAIP3 mutant overexpressed 293T cells, which verified the pathogenicity of this variation. Besides, after TNF-α stimulation, the degradation rate of IkBα protein in mutant overexpressed Hela cells (35%) was between the other two groups (15% in the wild-type group and 57% in the non-loaded group). Conclusions: This case with HA20 due to a de novo TNFAIP3 gene mutation presents with early onset Behcet-like autoinflammatory syndrome. This variation leads to expression of truncated A20 protein, enhanced degradation of IkBα, and further activation of nuclear factor κB signaling pathway.

[Effects of interleukin-35 on the balance of helper T cell 17/regulatory T cell in peripheral blood of patients with oral lichen planus]

Objective: To investigate the effects of exogenous interleukin (IL)-35 on the balance of helper T cell 17 (Th17) and regulatory T cell (Treg) in peripheral blood of patients with oral lichen planus (OLP). Methods: Totally 12 peripheral blood samples of OLP patients (OLP group, one male and 11 female, 26-68 years old; four cases of reticular OLP and eight cases of erosive OLP) were collected from patients of Department of Oral Mucosal Specialist of the Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University from October to December 2016. During the same period, thirteen normal peripheral blood samples were collected from the Physical Examination Center of the Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University (normal control group, one male and 12 female, 20-68 years old). The peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were extracted in sterile condition and CD4+ T cells were sorted by flow cytometry (FCM). Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) technique was used to detect the mRNA expression levels of retinoid-related orphan nuclear γt (RORγt) and forkhead box3 (Foxp3). The CD4+ T cells were divided into experimental group and control group. The CD4+ T cells of experimental group were cultured in vitro by adding rhIL-35, and the CD4+ T cells of control group were cultured with the same volume of phosphate buffered saline (PBS). After the completion of the culture, the cells were collected. The expression levels of the same factors were detected by qPCR. Results: The expression [M(Q(25), Q(75))] of Foxp3 [0.15 (0.09, 0.30)] and RORγt mRNA [1.04 (0.45, 2.15)] in the CD4+ T cells of OLP were significantly higher than those in normal control group [0.04 (0.02, 0.06), 0.10 (0.05, 0.11)] (Z=-4.134, P<0.01; Z=-3.699, P<0.01). The ratio of ROR γt/Foxp3 mRNA in OLP group [6.22(3.67, 15.34)] was higher than that in normal control group [2.50 (1.24, 5.23)] (Z=-2.665, P=0.007). In the CD4+ T cells of OLP patients, the expression of Foxp3 mRNA in the experiment group [0.40 (0.21, 1.22)] was higher than that in the control group [0.15 (0.11, 0.26)](Z=-2.510, P=0.012), and the expression of ROR γt mRNA between two groups showed no significant difference (P>0.05). The ROR γt/Foxp3 mRNA ratio [3.44 (1.55, 8.16)] of the experiment group was lower than that in the control group [6.22 (4.43, 12.21)] (Z=-2.746, P=0.006). Conclusions: There was a Th17/Treg imbalance with predominated by Th17 cells in the peripheral blood of patients with OLP. Exogenous rhIL-35 had an immunomodulatory effect on the balance of Th17/Treg.

Both Caspase and Calpain are Involved in Endoplasmic Reticulum-Targeted BNIP3-Induced Cell Death

Bcl-2/E1B-19K-interacting protein 3 (BNIP3) is a member of the apoptotic B-cell lymphoma-2 family that regulates cell death. Although BNIP3 targeted normally to the mitochondrial outer membrane by its transmembrane domain was originally considered to be essential for its pro-apoptotic activity, accumulating evidence has shown that BNIP3 is localized to endoplasmic reticulum at physiological conditions and that forced expression of BNIP3 can initiate cell death via multiple pathways depending on the subcellular compartment it targets. Targeting BNIP3 to endoplasmic reticulum has been shown to participate in cell death during endoplasmic reticulum stress. However, the molecular events responsible for BNIP3-induced cell death in the endoplasmic reticulum remain poorly understood. In the present study, the transmembrane domain of BNIP3 was replaced with a segment of cytochrome b5 that targets BNIP3 into endoplasmic reticulum, which induced cell death as effectively as its wild-type molecule in the SW480 cell line (colon carcinoma). Furthermore, a pan-caspase inhibitor, z-VAD-fmk, and PD150606, a specific calpain inhibitor, both significantly suppressed the endoplasmic reticulum-targeted BNIP3-induced cell death. These results suggest that endoplasmic reticulum-targeted BNIP3 induced a mixed mode of cell death requiring both caspases and calpains.

Absence of Magnetic Thermal Conductivity in the Quantum Spin Liquid Candidate EtMe_{3}Sb[Pd(dmit)_{2}]_{2}

We present the ultralow-temperature specific heat and thermal conductivity measurements on single crystals of triangular-lattice compound EtMe_{3}Sb[Pd(dmit)_{2}]_{2}, which has long been considered as a gapless quantum spin liquid candidate. In specific heat measurements, a finite linear term is observed, consistent with the previous work [S. Yamashita et al., Nat. Commun. 2, 275 (2011)NCAOBW2041-172310.1038/ncomms1274]. However, we do not observe a finite residual linear term in the thermal conductivity measurements, and the thermal conductivity does not change in a magnetic field of 6 T. These results are in sharp contrast to previous thermal conductivity measurements on EtMe_{3}Sb[Pd(dmit)_{2}]_{2} [M. Yamashita et al., Science 328, 1246 (2010)SCIEAS0036-807510.1126/science.1188200], in which a huge residual linear term was observed and attributed to highly mobile gapless excitations, likely the spinons of a quantum spin liquid. In this context, the true ground state of EtMe_{3}Sb[Pd(dmit)_{2}]_{2} has to be reconsidered.

[Preoperative imaging and electrophysiological evaluation of cochlear implantation in children with cochlear nerve dysplasia]

Objective:The aim of this study is to investigate the use of CT, magnetic resonance imaging （MRI）, functional magnetic resonance （fMRI） and electrical evoked auditory brainstem response in children with cochlear nerve deficiency （CND） before cochlear implantation （CI） （electrically evoked auditory brain stem response, EABR） evaluated auditory pathway, auditory cortex function, and cochlear nerve function. Method:Of 6 children with bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss, bilateral internal auditory meatus stenosis was diagnosed by CT as in 4 cases and unilateral internal auditory meatus stenosis in 1 case. In 3 cases, oblique sagittal MRI reconstruction of the internal auditory meatus showed only facial nerve and vestibular nerve existence. 6 cases were diagnosed as CND by imaging, among which underwent fMRI and EABR in 3 cases, respectively. All the children received unilateral CI and were followed up for at least 1 year after hearing and speech rehabilitation. Result:fMRI was examed in 3 cases with CND. It showed that the right auditory cortex was activated in 1 case after sound given to the left ear but no activation was found in the left cortex when sound given to the right ear. 1 case showed activation in bilateral transverse temporal gyrus while sound was given to the left, right and both ears at 2000Hz. Another case had no activation in both auditory cortex. EABR detection elicited V wave in 2 of 3 cases. 6 children received audiological and speech evaluation 1 month, 6 and 12 months after CI. Among them, the hearing level was improved within 6 months after surgery in 4 cases, and the threshold of sound field was （48.15±6.60） dB HL, MAIS and CAP scores were improved. However, SIR score improvement is limited in 3 cases. The hearing level was improved in 1 case, but speech rehabilitation was poor mainly due to the older age. Conclusion:Preoperative comprehensive application of imaging and electrophysiological evaluation of children with CND can more accurately assess the integrity of the auditory pathway and understand the function of the cochlear nerve. It has important reference significance for whether or not to perform surgery. There was a significant difference in auditory speech rehabilitation after CND in children with CND.

[One case report of Mohr-Tranebjærg syndrome]

Summary A 4-year-old male patient was found poor development in hearing and speech, without family hereditary history. Hearing screening was failed at birth. From the age of 2, the patient showed poor response to sound and speech, but no audiological examination was carried out. After physical examination, no deformity was found in both ears, and the tympanic membranes were intact; the muscular tension was normal; and the visual acuity was normal. The acoustic immittance showed curve A; DPOAE showed that both ears passed; click ABR threshold was greater than 95 dB nHL, bone conduction was greater than 45 dB nHL; electrocochleogram was bilateral elicited. There were no malformations of cochlea and inner ear showed in temporal bone CT and internal auditory canal MRI. Gene detection indicated a mutation in TIMM8A gene of X chromosome. Combined with the patient's medical history, gene detection, audiological manifestations and imaging examination, the final diagnosis was Mohr-Tranebjærg syndrome, bilateral severe sensorineural hearing loss, and auditory neuropathy.

[X-linked neutropenia caused by gain-of-function mutation in WAS gene: two cases report and literature review]

Objective: To investigate the clinical and genotypic manifestations of X-linked neutropenia caused by gain-of-function mutation in WAS gene. Methods: The clinical history of two patients with X-linked neutropenia caused by gain-of-function mutation in WAS gene in Shenzhen Children's Hospital were analyzed."X-linked neutropenia" and "WAS mutation" were used as key words to search related literatures published from January 2000 to December 2018 in CNKI,Wanfang, and Pubmed databases. Results: The first case was male,1 year old, admitted for 1 year of neutropenia combined with 5 days of cough and 3 days of fever. Persistent neutropenia (0.1×10(9)-0.3×10(9)/L) was reported before admission and during hospitalization (0.4×10(9)-0.5×10(9)/L). The patient was treated with Ciprofloxacin, cefoperazone sulbactam and Vancomycin,and relieved from fever after 4 weeks of hospitalization,yet the neutropenia (0.1×10(9)-0.6×10(9)/L) continued after discharge. Variant in WAS gene (c.T869C (p.I290T) ) was identified, and the percentage of WAS protein on lymphocyte was 97.7%. The second case was male, 42 days old,admitted for fever and neutropenia (0.5×10(9)/L). Similarly,he relieved from fever after 4 weeks of treatment with amoxicillin sulbactam,vancomysin,meropenem,rifampin and isoniacid,yet was discharged with continued neutropenia. Variant in WAS gene (c.T881C (p.I294T)) was identified and the percentage of WAS protein on lymphocyte was 92%. Published literature reported four variants,including I290T, L270P, S272P and I294T, as the pathogenic mutation of X-linked neutropenia in 18 patients from five families. Neutropenia (0.1×10(9)-1.0×10(9)/L) were reported in 15 patients,while normal neutrophil number was found in the rest. Recurrent infection,mainly pneumonia and otitis media,was the most common clinical manifestation. Conclusions: Neutropenia is the prominent presentation in the patients with X-linked neutropenia caused by gain-of-function mutation in WAS gene, but it unnecessarily correlates with the clinical severity in terms of infection. Gene sequencing should be considered for the male patients with persistent neutropenia.

Temporal variation and photochemical efficiency of species in Symbiodinaceae associated with coral Leptoria phrygia (Scleractinia; Merulinidae) exposed to contrasting temperature regimes

The Symbiodinaceae are paradoxical in that they play a fundamental role in the success of scleractinian corals, but also in their dismissal when under stress. In the past decades, the discovery of the endosymbiont's genetic and functional diversity has led people to hope that some coral species can survive bleaching events by associating with a stress-resistant symbiont that can become dominant when seawater temperatures increase. The variety of individual responses encouraged us to scrutinize each species individually to gauge its resilience to future changes. Here, we analyse the temporal variation in the Symbiodinaceae community associated with Leptoria phrygia, a common scleractinian coral from the Indo-Pacific. Coral colonies were sampled from two distant reef sites located in southern Taiwan that differ in temperature regimes, exemplifying a 'variable site' (VS) and a 'steady site' (SS). We investigated changes in the relative abundance of the dominant symbiont and its physiology every 3-4 months from 2016-2017. At VS, 11 of the 12 colonies were dominated by the stress-resistant Durusdinium spp. (>90% dominance) and only one colony exhibited co-dominance between Durusdinium spp. and Cladocopium spp. Every colony displayed high photochemical efficiency across all sampling periods, while showing temporal differences in symbiont density and chlorophyll a concentration. At SS, seven colonies out of 13 were dominated by Cladocopium spp., five presented co-dominance between Durusdinium spp./Cladocopium spp. and only one was dominated by Durusdinium spp. Colonies showed temporal differences in photochemical efficiency and chlorophyll a concentration during the study period. Our results suggest that VS colonies responded physiologically better to high temperature variability by associating with Durusdinium spp., while in SS there is still inter-colonial variability, a feature that might be advantageous for coping with different environmental changes.

[Effect of miR-21 on the expression of interleukin-10 in B cell of patients with Henoch-Schonlein purpura]

Objective: To investigate the effect of microRNAs (miR)-21 on the expression of interleukin (IL)-10 in B cell of patients with Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP). Methods: From March 2016 to January 2017, twenty-four children with HSP hospitalized in rheumatology and immunology department of Shenzhen Children's Hospital were enrolled into the study, including 12 males and 12 females. Patients were divided into purpura nephritis group (HSPN, 14 cases) and non-nephritis group (NHSPN, 10 cases). The age-matched 34 healthy children were included as the control group for prospective cohort study. The expression levels of IL-10 in peripheral blood B cells (CD19(+)), transitional B cells (CD19(+) CD24(hi)CD38(hi)) and naïve B cells (CD19(+)CD24(int)CD38(int)) from patients with HSP and healthy children were detected by flow cytometry (FCM). Expression of microRNAs related to IL-10 in B cells were quantitated by real-time PCR, including miR-21-5p, miR-106a-5p, miR-98-3p, miR-142-3p, miR-142-5p, miR-98-5p, miR-155-5p and miR-let7b-5p. Agomir negative control-FAM and agomir-21-5p-FAM were transfected into B cells from patients with HSP. The uptake of miRNA by B cells was observed by laser scanning confocal microscope and FCM, and the expression of IL-10 was detected by FCM after transfection. For quantitative data of normal distribution, t test was used for two samples comparison and multiple comparisons among three groups were conducted by ANOVA. Spearman test was used for correlation analysis. Results: (1) The CD19(+) B cells and its two populations at different differentiation stages all could express IL-10. The expression levels of IL-10 in three B cell populations in patients were significantly lower than those in healthy controls (1.4±0.2 vs. 2.4±0.3, t=3.501, P<0.01; 1.2±0.2 vs. 2.2±0.3, t=2.688, P<0.05; 1.6±0.3 vs. 2.7±0.4, t=2.498, P<0.05). Compared with healthy control and NHSPN groups, the expression of IL-10 in CD19(+) B cells from patients within HSPN group was the lowest, and the difference was statistically significant (1.1±0.2 vs. 2.4±0.3, 1.8±0.3, t=4.006, 2.362, P<0.001, P<0.05). (2) The expression of miR-21-5p in B cell in patients with HSPN was lower than that in healthy control group (1.2±0.9 vs. 3.5±2.8, t=2.962, P<0.01). There was no significant change in the other microRNAs. (3) The expression of IL-10 was positively correlated with the expression of miR-21-5p in the B cells of patients with HSP (r=0.778, P<0.001). (4) The expression of IL-10 in B cells of miR-21-5p group was significantly higher than that in negative control group (2.7±0.2 vs. 1.6±0.3, t=3.091, P<0.05). Conclusion: The insufficient expression of miR-21-5p in peripheral blood B cells of patients with HSP is one of the reasons for the reduction of IL-10 expression in B cells.

[Application of reflux symptom index in diagnosis of allergic patients with laryngopharyngeal reflux]

Objective:To explore the diagnostic value and optimal diagnostic threshold of reflux symptom index(RSI) in allergic patients with laryngopharyngeal reflux. Method: All the adult allergic patients with respiratory tract symptoms completed the RSI with the consent of the patients. A total of 150 patients with RSI＞13 were screened out. The LPR patients were confirmed by 24 h pH-metry of pharyngo-laryngoesophageal (allergic group). The same number of non allergic laryngeal reflux patients were selected as control group (non allergic group). The ratio of RSI＞13 to LPR was calculated. The total score of RSI and each score were compared between the allergic group and the non allergic group. ROC curve was used to analyze the highly suspicious RSI score thresholds for patients with reflux laryngitis. Result:Only 53(35.33%) of 150 patients with RSI＞13 were diagnosed as LPR after 24 h pH-metry test in allergic patients. Among the 9 symptoms of RSI, the scores of 6 symptoms in allergic group were significantly higher than those in non allergic group(P<0.05). The average RSI score of allergic group was 23.57±3.17. The average RSI score of non allergic group was 17.57±2.64. The total score of allergic group was higher than that of non allergic group(P<0.05). According to the RSI score ROC curve of allergic group, the area under 95% confidence interval curve was 0.815. RSI had certain diagnostic accuracy for allergic patients with LPR. The best critical value of RSI score for allergic patients with LPR was 18, the sensitivity was 94.3%, and the specificity was 56.7%. Conclusion:RSI can be used to screen allergic patients with LPR, diagnostic score threshold RSI＞18 points, has a certain diagnostic accuracy.

[Correlation between both neck/shoulder and low back pain and daily behavioral habits among middle school students in Shenzhen]

Objective: To study the relations between neck/shoulder or low back pain and their daily behavioral habits among middle school students in Shenzhen. Methods: We randomly chose 3 952 students from 10 high schools in Shenzhen to complete the questionnaires. Data was gathered and analyzed, using the IBM SPSS 23.0. Results: Of the 3 952 participants, 20.3% had neck/shoulder pain and 15.2% had low back pain. Among students experienced neck/shoulder pain, female (25.3%), high school (24.5%) and boarding students (24.4%) experienced higher rates of neck/shoulder pain (P<0.05). Female students (17.9%) also had higher rate of low back pain (P<0.05). Results from logistic regression analysis showed that factors as: gender, type of school, taking naps on the desk, staying up late, self-perceived stress from learning, overloading homework, time spent on mobile phone and TV, spending long time on computer etc. were related to the neck/shoulder pain (P<0.05). Factors as: gender, naps on the desk, stay up late, self-perceived stress, overloading homework, time spent on mobile phone and TV etc., were related to low back pain (P<0.05). Conclusion: Neck/shoulder pain and low back pain were both commonly seen while high self-perceived stress, sedentary behaviors and poor sleeping habits were associated with both neck/shoulder and low back pain in high school students in Shenzhen.

Ultralow-Temperature Thermal Conductivity of the Kitaev Honeycomb Magnet α-RuCl_{3} across the Field-Induced Phase Transition

Recently, there have been increasingly hot debates on whether there exists a quantum spin liquid in the Kitaev honeycomb magnet α-RuCl_{3} in a high magnetic field. To investigate this issue, we perform ultralow-temperature thermal conductivity measurements on single crystals of α-RuCl_{3} down to 80 mK and up to 9 T. Our experiments clearly show a field-induced phase transition occurring at μ_{0}H_{c}≈7.5  T, above which the magnetic order is completely suppressed. The minimum of thermal conductivity at 7.5 T is attributed to the strong scattering of phonons by magnetic fluctuations. Most importantly, above 7.5 T, we do not observe any significant contribution of thermal conductivity from gapless magnetic excitations, which puts a strong constraint on the nature of the high-field phase of α-RuCl_{3}.

Winding paths to simplicity: genome evolution in facultative insect symbionts

Symbiosis between organisms is an important driving force in evolution. Among the diverse relationships described, extensive progress has been made in insect–bacteria symbiosis, which improved our understanding of the genome evolution in host-associated bacteria. Particularly, investigations on several obligate mutualists have pushed the limits of what we know about the minimal genomes for sustaining cellular life. To bridge the gap between those obligate symbionts with extremely reduced genomes and their non-host-restricted ancestors, this review focuses on the recent progress in genome characterization of facultative insect symbionts. Notable cases representing various types and stages of host associations, including those from multiple genera in the family Enterobacteriaceae (class Gammaproteobacteria), Wolbachia (Alphaproteobacteria) and Spiroplasma (Mollicutes), are discussed. Although several general patterns of genome reduction associated with the adoption of symbiotic relationships could be identified, extensive variation was found among these facultative symbionts. These findings are incorporated into the established conceptual frameworks to develop a more detailed evolutionary model for the discussion of possible trajectories. In summary, transitions from facultative to obligate symbiosis do not appear to be a universal one-way street; switches between hosts and lifestyles (e.g. commensalism, parasitism or mutualism) occur frequently and could be facilitated by horizontal gene transfer.

This review synthesizes the recent progress in genome characterization of insect-symbiotic bacteria, the emphases include (i) patterns of genome organization, (ii) evolutionary models and trajectories, and (iii) comparisons between facultative and obligate symbionts.

[Strategy for minimally invasive cochlear implantation and residual hearing preservation]

In the past few decades, considerable development was achieved in the cochlear implantation following the emergence of innovative electrode array and advances in minimally invasive surgery. Minimally invasive technique led to a better preservation of residual low-frequency hearing. The loss of residual hearing was caused by complicated factors. According to previous studies, a slower and stable speed of electrode insertion and the use of perioperative steroids were demonstrated to have a positive impact on hearing preservation. The selection of electrode array or its insertion approaches didn't show any distinctive benefits in hearing preservation.

A prominent glycyl radical enzyme in human gut microbiomes metabolizes trans-4-hydroxy-l-proline

The human microbiome encodes vast numbers of uncharacterized enzymes, limiting our functional understanding of this community and its effects on host health and disease. By incorporating information about enzymatic chemistry into quantitative metagenomics, we determined the abundance and distribution of individual members of the glycyl radical enzyme superfamily among the microbiomes of healthy humans. We identified many uncharacterized family members, including a universally distributed enzyme that enables commensal gut microbes and human pathogens to dehydrate trans-4-hydroxy-l-proline, the product of the most abundant human posttranslational modification. This "chemically guided functional profiling" workflow can therefore use ecological context to facilitate the discovery of enzymes in microbial communities.

Optical directional amplification in a three-mode optomechanical system

We study the directional amplification of an optical probe field in a three-mode optomechanical system, where the mechanical resonator interacts with two linearly-coupled optical cavities and the cavities are driven by strong optical pump fields. The optical probe field is injected into one of the cavity modes, and at the same time, the mechanical resonator is subject to a mechanical drive with the driving frequency equal to the frequency difference between the optical probe and pump fields. We show that the transmission of the probe field can be amplified in one direction and de-amplified in the opposite direction. This directional amplification or de-amplification results from the constructive or destruction interference between different transmission paths in this three-mode optomechanical system.

Complete chloroplast genome sequence of common bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.) and comparative analysis within the family Poaceae

Common bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.) belongs to the subfamily Chloridoideae of the Poaceae family, one of the most important plant families ecologically and economically. This grass has a long connection with human culture but its systematics is relatively understudied. In this study, we sequenced and investigated the chloroplast genome of common bermudagrass, which is 134,297 bp in length with two single copy regions (LSC: 79,732 bp; SSC: 12,521 bp) and a pair of inverted repeat (IR) regions (21,022 bp). The annotation contains a total of 128 predicted genes, including 82 protein-coding, 38 tRNA, and 8 rRNA genes. Additionally, our in silico analyses identified 10 sets of repeats longer than 20 bp and predicted the presence of 36 RNA editing sites. Overall, the chloroplast genome of common bermudagrass resembles those from other Poaceae lineages. Compared to most angiosperms, the accD gene and the introns of both clpP and rpoC1 genes are missing. Additionally, the ycf1, ycf2, ycf15, and ycf68 genes are pseudogenized and two genome rearrangements exist. Our phylogenetic analysis based on 47 chloroplast protein-coding genes supported the placement of common bermudagrass within Chloridoideae. Our phylogenetic character mapping based on the parsimony principle further indicated that the loss of the accD gene and clpP introns, the pseudogenization of four ycf genes, and the two rearrangements occurred only once after the most recent common ancestor of the Poaceae diverged from other monocots, which could explain the unusual long branch leading to the Poaceae when phylogeny is inferred based on chloroplast sequences.

[Analysis of the SLC26A4 mutation from 230 deafness patients in Guangxi region]

Objective:To investigate the mutation characteristics of SLC26A4 gene from 230 hearing loss patients in Guangxi region.Method:Two hundred thirty patients with hearing loss were enrolled in the study. Eight mutation sites in SLC26A4 gene were tested; the types of gene mutation and the inner ear CT features of the mutationpositive patients were analyzed.Result:Among 230 deafness patients,the total mutation rate of SLC26A4 gene is 2.61%(6/230). The types of gene mutation include SLC26A4 IVS7-2A> G heterozygous in 2 case(0.87%).1226G> A homozygous in 1 cases(0.43%),IVS7-2A>G，IVS11+47T>C and 1548insC mutations in 2 cases(0.87%).Conclusion:The mutation rate of SLC26A4 gene in Guangxi region is lower than the national average level. The main mutation type in Guangxi region is SLC26A4 IVS7 2A>G. In this study, two gene mutations (SLC26A4 IVS11+47T> C and 1548insC) are firstly found, suggesting that some rare mutation types of SLC26A4 may exist in patients living in Guangxi region.

Electrophysiological Effects of Dexmedetomidine on Sinoatrial Nodes of Rabbits

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to investigate the electrophysiological effects of dexmedetomidine on pacemaker cells in sinoatrial nodes of rabbits.

METHODS

Healthy rabbits were anesthetized intravenously with sodium pentobarbital, and the hearts were quickly dissected and mounted in a tissue bath. Machine-pulled glass capillary microelectrodes which were connected to a high input impedance amplifier and impaled in dominant pacemaker cells. Thereafter, an intracellular microelectrode technique was used to record action potential.

RESULTS

The amplitude of action potential, velocity of diastolic (phase 4) depolarization, and rate of pacemaker firing in normal pacemaker cells in sinoatrial node were decreased by use of dexmedetomidine (0.5 ng/ml, 5 ng/ml, 50 ng/ml) in a concentration-dependent manner. Pretreatment with yohimbine (1 μM), did not alter the effects of dexmedetomidine (5 ng/ml) on sinoatrial node pacemaker cells. Pretreatment with CsCl (2 mmol/L), dexmedetomidine (5 ng/ml) decreased the amplitude of action potential, but had no significant effect on other parameters of action potential.

CONCLUSIONS

Dexmedetomidine exerts inhibitory electrophysiological effects on pacemaker cells in sinoatrial nodes of rabbits in a concentration-dependent manner, which may not be mediated by alpha 2-adrenoreceptor.

KEY WORDS

Action potential; Cardiology; Dexmedetomidine; Pacemaker activity; Sinoatrial node.

Serum Irisin Level is Higher and Related with Insulin in Acanthosis Nigricans-related Obesity

OBJECTIVE

Acanthosis nigricans (AN) is proved to be a skin phenotype of hyperinsulinemia especially in obese patients. Irisin is a new myokine which plays an important role in metabolic disorders, such as obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes. The role of irisin in the development of AN-related obesity is not yet understood. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between irisin and AN-related obesity. Patients & Measurements: 30 obese patients without AN (OB group), 30 obese patients with AN (AN group), and 20 age-matched healthy volunteers (control group, CON) were included in this study. Weight, BMI, lipid profile, FFA, UA, and CRP were measured in all participants. Oral Glucose Tolerance tests (OGTT) were performed and serum glucose and plasma insulin were measured at 0, 30, 60,120 and 180 min. The AUC (area under curve) of glucose and insulin was calculated. Serum irisin was measured by ELISA.

RESULTS

Hyperinsulinemia is found in both AN and OB groups. The AN group had higher levels of insulin but better blood glucose tolerance and insulin response. The difference in irisin levels between the 3 groups was statistically significant, with the AN group showing the highest serum level of irisin. Serum irisin levels were positively correlated with BMI, and fasting insulin.

CONCLUSION

AN is a state of hyperinsulinmia and has better insulin response and glucose tolerance compared to obese patients without AN. Serum irisin may be a protective factor against impaired beta cell function in obesity with AN.

Detection of methemoglobin in whole blood based on confocal micro-Raman spectroscopy and multivariate statistical techniques

Raman spectroscopy has been shown to have the potential for revealing oxygenated and spin ability of hemoglobin. In this study, confocal micro-Raman spectroscopy is developed to monitor the effect of sodium nitrite on oxyhemoglobin (HbO2 ) in whole blood. We observe that the band at 1,638 cm(-1) which is sensitive to the oxidation state decreases dramatically, while the 1,586 cm(-1) (low-spin state band) reduces both in methemoglobin (MetHb) and poisoning blood. Our results show that adding in sodium nitrite lead to the transition from HbO2 (Fe(2+) ) to MetHb (Fe(3+) ) in whole blood, and the iron atom converts from the low spin state to the high spin state with a delocalization from porphyrin plane. Moreover, multivariate statistical techniques, including principal components analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) are employed to develop effective diagnostic algorithms for classification of spectra between pure blood and poisoning blood. The diagnostic algorithms based on PCA-LDA yield a diagnostic sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 100% for separating poisoning blood from normal blood. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve further confirms the effectiveness of the diagnostic algorithm based on PCA-LDA technique. The results from this study demonstrate that Raman spectroscopy combined with PCA-LDA algorithms has tremendous potential for the non-invasive detection of nitrite poisoning blood.

Distinct and concurrent pathways of Pol II- and Pol IV-dependent siRNA biogenesis at a repetitive trans-silencer locus in Arabidopsis thaliana

Short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) homologous to transcriptional regulatory regions can induce RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) and transcriptional gene silencing (TGS) of target genes. In our system, siRNAs are produced by transcribing an inverted DNA repeat (IR) of enhancer sequences, yielding a hairpin RNA that is processed by several Dicer activities into siRNAs of 21-24 nt. Primarily 24-nt siRNAs trigger RdDM of the target enhancer in trans and TGS of a downstream GFP reporter gene. We analyzed siRNA accumulation from two different structural forms of a trans-silencer locus in which tandem repeats are embedded in the enhancer IR and distinguished distinct RNA polymerase II (Pol II)- and Pol IV-dependent pathways of siRNA biogenesis. At the original silencer locus, Pol-II transcription of the IR from a 35S promoter produces a hairpin RNA that is diced into abundant siRNAs of 21-24 nt. A silencer variant lacking the 35S promoter revealed a normally masked Pol IV-dependent pathway that produces low levels of 24-nt siRNAs from the tandem repeats. Both pathways operate concurrently at the original silencer locus. siRNAs accrue only from specific regions of the enhancer and embedded tandem repeat. Analysis of these sequences and endogenous tandem repeats producing siRNAs revealed the preferential accumulation of siRNAs at GC-rich regions containing methylated CG dinucleotides. In addition to supporting a correlation between base composition, DNA methylation and siRNA accumulation, our results highlight the complexity of siRNA biogenesis at repetitive loci and show that Pol II and Pol IV use different promoters to transcribe the same template.

Influences of species mixture on biomass of Masson pine (Pinus massoniana Lamb) forests

The effect of tree diversity on productivity in subtropical forests in China is poorly understood. We investigated the biomasses of trees, understory vegetation, coarse roots, and fine roots with varying proportions of Pinus massoniana, mixed with other tree species in stands of the same age, to examine the effects of tree diversity. With an increase of P. massoniana proportion, the tree and understory biomasses increased at first, and then gradually decreased. As expected, the biomass of fine roots decreased with soil depth. Stands with 40 to 60% P. massoniana had the highest biomass, whereas stands with <20% P. massoniana had the least biomass. Stands with <20% P. massoniana had the least understory biomass, whereas those with 20 to 40% Masson pine had the least fine root biomass.

Complete sequence and comparative analysis of the chloroplast genome of coconut palm (Cocos nucifera)

Coconut, a member of the palm family (Arecaceae), is one of the most economically important trees used by mankind. Despite its diverse morphology, coconut is recognized taxonomically as only a single species (Cocos nucifera L.). There are two major coconut varieties, tall and dwarf, the latter of which displays traits resulting from selection by humans. We report here the complete chloroplast (cp) genome of a dwarf coconut plant, and describe the gene content and organization, inverted repeat fluctuations, repeated sequence structure, and occurrence of RNA editing. Phylogenetic relationships of monocots were inferred based on 47 chloroplast protein-coding genes. Potential nodes for events of gene duplication and pseudogenization related to inverted repeat fluctuation were mapped onto the tree using parsimony criteria. We compare our findings with those from other palm species for which complete cp genome sequences are available.

Chloroplast phylogenomics indicates that Ginkgo biloba is sister to cycads

Molecular phylogenetic studies have not yet reached a consensus on the placement of Ginkgoales, which is represented by the only living species, Ginkgo biloba (common name: ginkgo). At least six discrepant placements of ginkgo have been proposed. This study aimed to use the chloroplast phylogenomic approach to examine possible factors that lead to such disagreeing placements. We found the sequence types used in the analyses as the most critical factor in the conflicting placements of ginkgo. In addition, the placement of ginkgo varied in the trees inferred from nucleotide (NU) sequences, which notably depended on breadth of taxon sampling, tree-building methods, codon positions, positions of Gnetopsida (common name: gnetophytes), and including or excluding gnetophytes in data sets. In contrast, the trees inferred from amino acid (AA) sequences congruently supported the monophyly of a ginkgo and Cycadales (common name: cycads) clade, regardless of which factors were examined. Our site-stripping analysis further revealed that the high substitution saturation of NU sequences mainly derived from the third codon positions and contributed to the variable placements of ginkgo. In summary, the factors we surveyed did not affect results inferred from analyses of AA sequences. Congruent topologies in our AA trees give more confidence in supporting the ginkgo-cycad sister-group hypothesis.

The complete chloroplast genome of Ginkgo biloba reveals the mechanism of inverted repeat contraction

We determined the complete chloroplast genome (cpDNA) of Ginkgo biloba (common name: ginkgo), the only relict of ginkgophytes from the Triassic Period. The cpDNA molecule of ginkgo is quadripartite and circular, with a length of 156,945 bp, which is 6,458 bp shorter than that of Cycas taitungensis. In ginkgo cpDNA, rpl23 becomes pseudo, only one copy of ycf2 is retained, and there are at least five editing sites. We propose that the retained ycf2 is a duplicate of the ancestral ycf2, and the ancestral one has been lost from the inverted repeat A (IR_A). This loss event should have occurred and led to the contraction of IRs after ginkgos diverged from other gymnosperms. A novel cluster of three transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, trnY-AUA, trnC-ACA, and trnSeC-UCA, was predicted to be located between trnC-GCA and rpoB of the large single-copy region. Our phylogenetic analysis strongly suggests that the three predicted tRNA genes are duplicates of trnC-GCA. Interestingly, in ginkgo cpDNA, the loss of one ycf2 copy does not significantly elevate the synonymous rate (Ks) of the retained copy, which disagrees with the view of Perry and Wolfe (2002) that one of the two-copy genes is subjected to elevated Ks when its counterpart has been lost. We hypothesize that the loss of one ycf2 is likely recent, and therefore, the acquired Ks of the retained copy is low. Our data reveal that ginkgo possesses several unique features that contribute to our understanding of the cpDNA evolution in seed plants.

Large positive and negative lateral shifts near pseudo-Brewster dip on reflection from a chiral metamaterial slab

The lateral shifts from a slab of lossy chiral metamaterial are predicted for both perpendicular and parallel components of the reflected field, when the transverse electric (TE)-polarized incident wave is applied. By introducing different chirality parameter, the lateral shifts can be large positive or negative near the pseudo-Brewster angle. It is found that the lateral shifts from the negative chiral slab are affected by the angle of incidence and the chirality parameter. In the presence of inevitable loss of the chiral slab, the enhanced lateral shifts will be decreased, and the pseudo-Brewster angle will disappear correspondingly. For the negative chiral slab with loss which is invisible for the right circularly polarized (RCP) wave, we find that the loss of the chiral slab will lead to the fluctuation of the lateral shift with respect to the thickness of the chiral slab.The validity of the stationary-phase analysis is demonstrated by numerical simulations of a Gaussian-shaped beam.

Micro-Raman spectroscopy of algae: composition analysis and fluorescence background behavior

Preliminary feasibility studies were performed using Stokes Raman scattering for compositional analysis of algae. Two algal species, Chlorella sorokiniana (UTEX #1230) and Neochloris oleoabundans (UTEX #1185), were chosen for this study. Both species were considered to be candidates for biofuel production. Raman signals due to storage lipids (specifically triglycerides) were clearly identified in the nitrogen-starved C. sorokiniana and N. oleoabundans, but not in their healthy counterparts. On the other hand, signals resulting from the carotenoids were found to be present in all of the samples. Composition mapping was conducted in which Raman spectra were acquired from a dense sequence of locations over a small region of interest. The spectra obtained for the mapping images were filtered for the wavelengths of characteristic peaks that correspond to components of interest (i.e., triglyceride or carotenoid). The locations of the components of interest could be identified by the high intensity areas in the composition maps. Finally, the time evolution of fluorescence background was observed while acquiring Raman signals from the algae. The time dependence of fluorescence background is characterized by a general power law decay interrupted by sudden high intensity fluorescence events. The decreasing trend is likely a result of photo-bleaching of cell pigments due to prolonged intense laser exposure, while the sudden high intensity fluorescence events are not understood.