AAV9:PKP2 improves heart function and survival in a Pkp2-deficient mouse model of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy

BACKGROUND

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is a familial cardiac disease associated with ventricular arrhythmias and an increased risk of sudden cardiac death. Currently, there are no approved treatments that address the underlying genetic cause of this disease, representing a significant unmet need. Mutations in Plakophilin-2 (PKP2), encoding a desmosomal protein, account for approximately 40% of ARVC cases and result in reduced gene expression.

METHODS

Our goal is to examine the feasibility and the efficacy of adeno-associated virus 9 (AAV9)-mediated restoration of PKP2 expression in a cardiac specific knock-out mouse model of Pkp2.

RESULTS

We show that a single dose of AAV9:PKP2 gene delivery prevents disease development before the onset of cardiomyopathy and attenuates disease progression after overt cardiomyopathy. Restoration of PKP2 expression leads to a significant extension of lifespan by restoring cellular structures of desmosomes and gap junctions, preventing or halting decline in left ventricular ejection fraction, preventing or reversing dilation of the right ventricle, ameliorating ventricular arrhythmia event frequency and severity, and preventing adverse fibrotic remodeling. RNA sequencing analyses show that restoration of PKP2 expression leads to highly coordinated and durable correction of PKP2-associated transcriptional networks beyond desmosomes, revealing a broad spectrum of biological perturbances behind ARVC disease etiology.

CONCLUSIONS

We identify fundamental mechanisms of PKP2-associated ARVC beyond disruption of desmosome function. The observed PKP2 dose-function relationship indicates that cardiac-selective AAV9:PKP2 gene therapy may be a promising therapeutic approach to treat ARVC patients with PKP2 mutations.

[Analysis of clinical data of necrotizing fasciitis secondary to intestinal fistulas and screening the mortality risk factors]

Objective: To analyze the clinical data and to screen the mortality risk factors of necrotizing fasciitis (NF) secondary to intestinal fistulas (NFsIF). Methods: This study was a retrospective observational study. The data of all NFsIF cases who met the inclusion criteria and were admitted into Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University (hereinafter referred to as our unit) from January 2000 to October 2023, and in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Chinese Medical Journal Network databases from its establishment to October 2023 were retrieved and screened. Based on clinical outcomes, the cases were divided into survival group (47 males and 24 females) and death group (16 males and 7 females), and the mortality rate was calculated. Clinical data of patients in the two groups including age, underlying diseases (most related to NF), symptom duration before presentation, white blood cell count, causes of NF, signs of peritonitis, scope of NF involvement, and intestinal management and wound management measures were compared and analyzed to screen the risk factors of death in 94 patients with NFsIF. Results: A total of 94 valid cases were collected, including 90 patients reported in the literature and 4 patients admitted to our unit, with the mortality rate of patients being 24.5% (23/94). Univariate analysis showed that there were no statistically significant differences in age, underlying diseases, symptom duration before presentation, white blood cell count, causes of NF, signs of peritonitis, scope of NF involvement between patients in the two groups (P>0.05); there were statistically significant differences in intestinal treatment and wound treatment between the two groups (with χ2 values of 17.97 and 8.33, respectively, P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that both intestinal treatment measures and wound treatments measures were independent risk factors for death in 94 NFsIF patients, among which first-stage colostomy+late-stage reconstruction and negative presssure therapy had higher protective effects (with odds ratios of 0.05 and 0.27, respectively, 95% confidence intervals of 0.01-0.33 and 0.08-0.88, respectively, P<0.05). Conclusions: The mortality risk of patients with NFsIF is high. Based on comprehensive treatments, active intestinal and wound treatment may be the key to avoid death, with first-stage colostomy+late-stage reconstruction and negative pressure therapy having higher protective effects.

Plasma position measurements by O-mode and X-mode reflectometry systems in tokamak plasmas

Plasma Position Reflectometry (PPR) is planned to provide plasma position and shape information for plasma operation in future fusion reactors. Its primary function is to calibrate the drift of the magnetic signals due to the integral nature of magnetic measurement. Here, we attempt to measure plasma position using ordinary mode (O-mode) and extraordinary mode (X-mode) reflectometry systems on two tokamaks. A new physical model based on the phase shift is proposed to deduce the relative movement of the cut-off layer without density inversion. We demonstrate the plasma position measurements by absolute measurement from density profile inversion and relative measurement from phase shift. The combination of X-mode and O-mode reflectometers can minimize the limitations of single polarization reflectometry and further increase the accuracy of plasma position measurement. These results could provide an important technical basis for the further development of a real-time control system based on PPR.

[Identification of metabolic biomarkers associated with the onset of type 2 diabetes based on a nested case-control study]

Objective: To explore metabolic biomarkers associated with the onset of type 2 diabetes. Methods: Cluster random sampling method was used to select 10 867 local residents aged ≥ 20 years in Liangxi district of Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province in 2007. The baseline survey and physical examination were conducted to collect participants' information, including demographic characteristics, behavior and lifestyles, disease history, family history of diabetes, height, weight, waist circumference and blood pressure, etc. Blood samples were collected and biochemical indexes (high density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol, triglyceride, fasting blood glucose, etc.) were tested. By June 30, 2020, 220 newly diagnosed patients with type 2 diabetes during the follow-up were selected as cases, and 220 healthy individuals were matched as controls with age (±5 years) and the same sex. High performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometer was used to detect and identify metabolites in serum samples of two groups at baseline. Lasso regression and multivariate conditional logistic regression were used to explore the metabolites associated with the onset of type 2 diabetes. Results: The age of participants at baseline was (53±7) years, and 41.82% were male. 25 out of 1 579 metabolites were selected to be potentially associated with the onset of type 2 diabetes in the lasso regression model. The multivariable conditional logistic regression analysis showed that only 7-Methylxanthine had an independent effect on type 2 diabetes (P=0.019). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) (95%CI) of the prediction model of type 2 diabetes based on traditional risk factors was 0.80 (0.76-0.85). After the 7-methylxanthine in the model, the AUC (95%CI) increased to 0.92 (0.89-0.95) (P<0.001). From the second year, 7-methylxanthine could improve the prediction performance (P=0.007). Conclusion: The level of 7-methylxanthine is related to the onset of type 2 diabetes, and can be used as a biomarker to predict its incidence risk.

[Effects of low-dose photodynamic therapy on the function of human adipose mesenchymal stem cells and its mechanism]

Objective: To investigate the effects of low-dose photodynamic therapy on the proliferation, regulation, and secretion functions of human adipose mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) and the related mechanism, so as to explore a new method for the repair of chronic wounds. Methods: The experimental research methods were adopted. From February to April 2021, 10 patients (5 males and 5 females, aged 23 to 47 years) who underwent cutaneous surgery in the Department of Dermatology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University (the Third Military Medical University) donated postoperative waste adipose tissue. The cells were extracted from the adipose tissue and the phenotype was identified. Three batches of ADSCs were taken, with each batch of cells being divided into normal control group with conventional culture only, photosensitizer alone group with conventional culture after being treated with Hemoporfin, irradiation alone group with conventional culture after being treated with red light irradiation, and photosensitizer+irradiation group with conventional culture after being treated with Hemoporfin and red light irradiation, with sample number of 3 in each group. At culture hour of 24 after the treatment of the first and second batches of cells, the ADSC proliferation level was evaluated by 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine staining method and the migration percentage of HaCaT cells cocultured with ADSCs was detected by Transwell experiment, respectively. On culture day of 7 after the treatment of the third batch of cells, the extracellular matrix protein expression of ADSCs was detected by immunofluorescence method. The ADSCs were divided into 0 min post-photodynamic therapy group, 15 min post-photodynamic therapy group, 30 min post-photodynamic therapy group, and 60 min post-photodynamic therapy group, with 3 wells in each group. Western blotting was used to detect the protein expressions and calculate the phosphorylated mammalian target of rapamycin complex (p-mTOR)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), phosphorylated p70 ribosomal protein S6 kinase (p-p70 S6K)/p70 ribosomal protein S6 kinase (p70 S6K) ratio at the corresponding time points after photodynamic therapy. Two batches of ADSCs were taken, and each batch was divided into normal control group, photodynamic therapy alone group, and photodynamic therapy+rapamycin group, with 3 wells in each group. At culture minute of 15 after the treatment, p-mTOR/mTOR and p-p70 S6K/p70 S6K ratios of cells from the first batch were calculated and detected as before. On culture day of 7 after the treatment, extracellular matrix protein expression of cells from the second batch was detected as before. Data were statistically analyzed with one-way analysis of variance and least significant difference test. Results: After 12 d of culture, the cells were verified as ADSCs. At culture hour of 24 after the treatment, the ADSC proliferation level ((4.0±1.0)% and (4.1±0.4)%, respectively) and HaCaT cell migration percentages (1.17±0.14 and 1.13±0.12, respectively) in photosensitizer alone group and irradiation alone group were similar to those of normal control group ((3.7±0.6)% and 1.00±0.16, respectively, P>0.05), and were significantly lower than those of photosensitizer+irradiation group ((34.2±7.0)% and 2.55±0.13, respectively, P<0.01). On culture day of 7 after the treatment, compared with those in normal control group, the expression of collagen Ⅲ in ADSCs of photosensitizer alone group was significantly increased (P<0.05), and the expressions of collagen Ⅰ and collagen Ⅲ in ADSCs of irradiation alone group were significantly increased (P<0.01). Compared with those in photosensitizer alone group and irradiation alone group, the expressions of collagen Ⅰ, collagen Ⅲ, and fibronectin of ADSCs in photosensitizer+irradiation group were significantly increased (P<0.01). Compared with those in 0 min post-photodynamic therapy group, the ratios of p-mTOR/mTOR and p-p70 S6K/p70 S6K of ADSCs in 15 min post-photodynamic therapy group were significantly increased (P<0.01), the ratios of p-p70 S6K/p70 S6K of ADSCs in 30 min post-photodynamic therapy group and 60 min post-photodynamic therapy group were both significantly increased (P<0.01). At culture minute of 15 after the treatment, compared with those in normal control group, the ratios of p-mTOR/mTOR and p-p70 S6K/p70 S6K of ADSCs in photodynamic therapy alone group were significantly increased (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Compared with those in photodynamic therapy alone group, the ratios of p-mTOR/mTOR and p-p70 S6K/p70 S6K of ADSCs in photodynamic therapy+rapamycin group were significantly decreased (P<0.05). On culture day of 7 after the treatment, compared with those in normal control group, the expressions of collagen Ⅰ, collagen Ⅲ, and fibronectin of ADSCs in photodynamic therapy alone group were significantly increased (P<0.01). Compared with those in photodynamic therapy alone group, the expressions of collagen Ⅰ, collagen Ⅲ, and fibronectin of ADSCs in photodynamic therapy+rapamycin group were significantly decreased (P<0.01). Conclusions: Low-dose photodynamic therapy can promote the proliferation of ADSCs, improve the ability of ADSCs to regulate the migration of HaCaT cells, and enhance the secretion of extracellular matrix protein by rapidly activating mTOR signaling pathway.

A remote gain controlled and polarization angle tunable Doppler backward scattering reflectometer

Remote control of the diagnostic systems is the basic requirement for the high performance plasma operation in a fusion device. This work presents the development of the remote control system for the multichannel Doppler backward scattering (DBS) reflectometers. It includes a remote controlled quasi-optical system and a remote intermediate frequency (IF) amplifier gain control system. The quasi-optical system contains a rotational polarizer, its polarization angle is tunable through a remote controlled motor, and it could combine the microwave beams with a wide frequency range into one focused beam. The remote IF gain control system utilizes the digital microcontroller (MCU) technique to regulate the signal amplitude for each signal channel. The gain parameters of amplifiers are adjustable, and the feedback of working status in the IF system will be sent to MCU in real time for safe operation. The gain parameters could be controlled either by the Ethernet remote way or directly through the local control interface on the system. Preliminary experimental results show the effectiveness of the remote controlled multichannel DBS system.

The key aroma compounds and sensory characteristics of commercial Cheddar cheeses

To study the key aroma components and flavor profile differences of Cheddar cheese with different maturity and from different countries, the flavor components of 25 imported commercial Cheddar cheese samples in the China market were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The quality and quantity of 40 flavor compounds were analyzed by gas chromatography-olfactometry among 71 aroma compounds determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Combined with odor activity value calculation, principal component analysis (PCA) was conducted to analyze the relationship among 26 flavor compounds with odor activity values >1 and the maturity of Cheddar cheese. The PCA results showed significant differences between the group of mild Cheddar cheese and the groups of medium Cheddar cheese and mature Cheddar cheese, and no significant differences were observed between medium Cheddar cheese and mature Cheddar cheese. According to the results of PCA and consumers' preference test, representative Cheddar cheese samples with different ripening times were selected for the flavor profile analysis. Partial least squares regression analysis was conducted to obtain the relationship between sensory properties and flavor compounds of different Cheddar cheeses. Based on partial least squares regression analysis, 1-octen-3-one, hexanal, acetic acid, 3-methylindole, and acetoin were positively correlated with milky, sour, and yogurt of mild Cheddar cheese. Dimethyl trisulfide, phenylacetaldehyde, ethyl caproate, octanoic acid, and furaneol and other compounds were positively correlated with fruity, caramel, rancid, and nutty notes of the medium and mature Cheddar cheeses.

Development of the gas puffing imaging diagnostic on J-TEXT tokamak

Edge turbulence is important for plasma confinement, so the gas puffing imaging (GPI) diagnostic was proposed on the J-TEXT tokamak for the two-dimensional measurement of turbulence in the edge region. GPI is a diagnostic of plasma turbulence that uses a puff of neutral gas at the plasma edge to increase the local visible light emission for improved space-time resolution of plasma fluctuations. Considering the conditions of J-TEXT, the observation area is 21° away from the position of the optical system in the toroidal direction, and the observation area is 10 cm × 10 cm inside and outside the last closed flux surface. To have a lower divergence of the gas flow, the gas puff nozzle is specially designed. An interface has been developed for operation. To photograph the line radiation generated by the neutral gas cloud along the magnetic field lines, the optical system is designed. It is composed of a quartz glass, mirrors, commercial lenses, filters, and high-speed cameras. The high-speed camera can capture the line radiation with a speed up to 180 000 frames/s with 256 pixels × 256 pixels and an exposure time of 5 µs. In a recent experiment, the new GPI diagnostic has obtained some preliminary pictures.

[Probability of premature mortality caused by four major non-communicable diseases and its impact on life expectancy in Wuxi, 2008-2018]

Objective: To analyze the trend of premature death of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Wuxi from 2008 to 2018 and evaluate the influence of premature mortality probability caused by four main NCDs on life expectancy. Methods: Based on the mortality data collected by Wuxi Mortality Registration System and the population data collected by Wuxi Public Security Bureau during 2008-2018, this study analyzes the trend of the probability of premature death on malignant tumors, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes. The impact on life expectancy was analyzed by using the methods of abridged life table, Joinpoint regression, and life expectancy contribution decomposition. Results: From 2008 to 2018, the total probability of premature death of four main NCDs in Wuxi were declined consistently from 11.25% to 9.25% (AAPC = -2.0%, 95%CI: -2.6--1.5), higher in female (from 7.74% to 5.91%) than that in male (from 14.49% to 12.51%). The Wuxi resident's life expectancy increased by 1.86 years (from 78.66 to 80.52 years), in males and 1.26 years (from 83.85 to 85.11 years) in females, respectively. The decline of premature death of malignant tumors, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and chronic respiratory system diseases had a positive contribution to life expectancy, which contributed 0.34 years (23.90%), 0.15 years (10.50%), and 0.03 years (2.36%) to the life expectancy growth, respectively. Among which, premature death of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases in men aged 40-55y had a negative contribution to life expectancy (-0.04 years). The probability of premature death of males with diabetes was on the rise (AAPC = 7.1%, 95%CI: 2.8-11.6), which negatively contributed to life expectancy for both males and females, reducing life expectancy by 0.03 years (-2.14%) in Wuxi. Conclusion: The premature death probability of four main NCDs in Wuxi declined consistently from 2008 to 2018, which played a positive role in the growth of life expectancy. Compared with females, males had a higher premature death probability and a slower rate of decline. More intervention and health management of premature male death on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and diabetes should be conducted to improve life expectancy further.

Development of a tunable multi-channel Doppler reflectometer on J-TEXT tokamak

Doppler reflectometer is a powerful diagnostic tool to study the turbulence for tokamak plasmas. It can provide information on the density fluctuation, the poloidal rotation, the radial electric field, its shear, etc. A tunable multi-channel V-band (50-75 GHz) Doppler reflectometer system has been developed on the J-TEXT tokamak for the measurement under various toroidal magnetic fields. A universal serial bus controlled synthesizer is used as a source that can adjust the probing frequency remotely. This Doppler reflectometer can measure the plasma in 0.3 < ρ < 1 . Its radial resolution is <2 cm, and k_⊥ is ∼ 4-12 cm^-1. Based on the Doppler reflectometer, the perpendicular turbulence propagation velocity, the profile of the radial electric field, the geodesic acoustic mode, and some other phenomena have been observed on J-TEXT.

Spatial and temporal variability of methane emissions from cascading reservoirs in the Upper Mekong River

Reservoirs are an important source of atmospheric methane (CH₄), a potent greenhouse gas. The Mekong, one of the largest Asian rivers, has been heavily dammed and can be a potential hotspot for CH₄ emissions. While low diffusive CH₄ flux was previously reported from cascading reservoirs in the Upper Mekong, the contribution of ebullition (bubbling) remained unexplored. To better constrain the magnitude and drivers of ebullition from these reservoirs, automated bubble traps were deployed in four reservoirs, allowing for continuous measurement of the ebullitive flux with high temporal resolution for a period of six months. To characterize the spatial variability of CH₄ fluxes mediated by ebullition and diffusion, whole-reservoir surveys were conducted using a scientific echo sounder for bubble observations together with a gas equilibrator for mapping dissolved CH₄ concentration in surface water from which diffusive fluxes were estimated. Potential production and anaerobic oxidation rates of CH₄ were estimated in laboratory incubations of sediment cores collected near the bubble trap deployment sites. The CH₄ production potential in sediments increased strongly along the reservoir cascade, with mostly minor reduction by anaerobic oxidation. Surface CH₄ fluxes, in contrast, showed high spatial variability in both ebullitive and diffusive pathways (ranging 0.05-44 and 1.8-6.4 mg m^-2 d^-1, respectively, among all reservoirs). Ebullitive fluxes were about one order of magnitude higher than diffusive fluxes and remained significant at sites as deep as 30-45 m. The repeated spatial pattern of ebullition (higher fluxes at the dam area than in upstream sections) suggests the possible control of emission rates by sediment transport and deposition.

[Value of index of microcirculatory resistance for early prediction of periprocedural myocardial microcirculatory injury after percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with coronary heart disease]

Objective: To explore the value of index of microcirculatory resistance (IMR) for early prediction of periprocedural myocardial injury (PMI) in patients with stable angina pectoris (SAP) and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) after PCI. Methods: It was a prospective study. One hundred and sixty-four patients who had single coronary lesion were consecutively enrolled from May 2014 to December 2017 at Nanjing Hospital affiliated to Nanjing Medical University. According to clinical manifestation, patients were divided into SAP group (n=81) and ACS group (n=83). IMR was determined by thermal dilution with pressure guide wire. Basic clinical characteristics, coronary angiographic results, PCI procedural details, IMR after PCI, ΔIMR (IMR=post-PCI-IMR pre-PCI), levels of myocardial biomarkers before and after PCI were compared between the two groups. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the relation of PMI with IMR and ΔIMR, and the predictive ability was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC). Results: The levels of total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol were significantly higher in ACS group than in SAP group (P<0.05), other clinical data at baseline were similar between the two groups (P>0.05). Quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) results and PCI related data were also similar between the two groups before PCI (P>0.05). Values of mean transit time (Tmn) of intracoronary injection with room temperature saline, post-PCI IMR and ΔIMR were significantly higher in ACS group than in SAP group after PCI (P<0.05). Plasma creatine kinase isoenzyme-MB difference (ΔCK-MB) (ΔCK-MB=CK-MB post-PCI-CK-MB pre-PCI) and cardiac troponin-I (cTnI) difference (ΔcTnI=cTnI post-PCI-cTnI pre-PCI) were significantly larger in ACS group than in SAP group (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that coronary artery disease (CHD) type (SAP and ACS) (OR=1.301, 95%CI 1.083-1.562), age (OR=1.007, 95%CI 1.000-1.013), ΔIMR (OR=1.009, 95%CI 1.000-1.017) and post-PCI IMR (OR=1.008, 95%CI 1.001-1.014) were independent predictors of PMI (P<0.05). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of ΔIMR was 0.763 to predict PMI (P<0.05), the optimum cut-off value of ΔIMR was 5.485 with 70.0% sensitivity and 77.4% specificity. ΔIMR was positively correlated with ΔcTnI (r=0.592, P<0.05). Conclusions: ΔIMR serves as an early predictor of PMI in CHD patients after PCI. As compared with SAP patients, ACS patients are more likely to develop PMI.

[Summary of the 2019 Academic Annual Meeting of the Society of Burn Surgery of Chinese Medical Doctor Association]

The 2019 Academic Annual Meeting of the Society of Burn Surgery of Chinese Medical Doctor Association, sponsored by the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, was successfully held in Jinan, Shandong Province from May 22th to 24th. More than 300 representatives of burn department attended the meeting. With the theme of " Standardization and Innovation" , the conference focused on academician lectures and invited reports, thematic reports, thematic discussions, and discussion of difficult and complex cases in view of the current situation and challenges of burn specialty in China, and closely combined with the actual clinical needs. In order to reserve the reserve force, the Youth Committee of the Society of Burn Surgery of Chinese Medical Doctor Association was established.

miR-361-5p suppresses lung cancer cell lines progression by targeting FOXM1

Lung cancer is the most common type of cancer and the leading cause of death in worldwide. MicroRNAs are known to be key players in a variety of biological processes, including tumorigenesis. In present study, we investigated the effect of miR-361-5p on lung cancer progression. We found that miR-361-5p was down-regulated in lung cancer. Overexpression of miR-361-5p suppressed lung cancer proliferation and invasion. Mechanistically, FOXM1 was identified as a direct target of miR-361-5p. Furthermore, miR-361-5p inhibits EMT-like phenotype through down-regulation of FOXM1 expression in lung cancer cells. In conclusion, our results indicated that miR-361-5p acts as a tumor suppressor in lung cancer.

Effects of Si solute on the glass formation and atomic structure of Pd liquid

Molecular dynamics simulations were performed to study the effects of Si solute on the glass formation and crystallization of Pd liquid. Pure Pd samples prepared by a quenching process with a cooling rate of 10¹³ K s^-1 can be in an amorphous state but the structural analysis indicates there is nearly no glass-forming motif in the sample. However, doping a small amount of Si (Si concentration ~4%) the sample can be vitrified at a cooling rate of 10¹² K s^-1. The glass-forming motifs such as Pd-centered Z13, Si-centered Z9-like and mixed-ICO-cube clusters with five-fold local symmetry are found to be the dominant short-range orders in the glassy samples. With the increasing of the Si-doping concentration, these glass-forming motifs tend to aggregate and connect with each other forming a network structure. Our calculated results revealed that Si solutes in liquid Pd can significantly enhance the glass-forming ability.

[Analysis of prognostic factors on multidisciplinary team for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma]

Objective: To analyze the prognostic factors on multidisciplinary team patients for diagnosis, and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 132 HBsAg positive patients with HCC. MDT diagnostic approach was conducted at our hospital between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2015, and all patients were followed up to 31 December 2017. Groups were arranged according to variables such as Barcelona stage, MDT compliance, and multidisciplinary combination therapy. TTP and OS were statistically analyzed. Results: The survival of the MDT compliance group was better than the non-compliance group. The difference in survival curves was statistically significant (χ(2) = 4.062, P < 0.05). The 1- and 2-year survival rates of the former group were 72.0%, 60.9%, and the latter was 64.3%, 40.3%. The survival of the combined treatment group was better than the non-combination group. The survival curves of the two groups were statistically significant (χ(2) = 9.502, P < 0.05), and they were independent influencing factors of survival (HR = 0.451, 95% CI, 0.210-0.968). The 1- and 2-year survival rates of the former group were 82.2% and 75.4%, and the latter was 63.1% and 44.6%. The median survival time of the follow-up group was 29.4 months, and the non-compliance and the uncombined group were 17.0 months. The difference was statistically significant (χ(2) = 13.336, P < 0.001). The median tumor progression time was 15.7 months in the combination group and 10.1 months in the non-compliance group (χ(2) = 7.263, P < 0.05). Conclusion: An advanced MDT compliance with implementation of multidisciplinary combination therapy may help to improve the prognosis of MDT patients with liver cancer.

[Application of restricted mean survival time in clinical follow-up study]

In clinical follow-up studies, hazard ratio (HR) is routinely used to quantify the differences between-groups, however, it is being estimated by the Cox procedure. HR, the ratio of two hazard functions has abstract meaning only and is in lack of the context to give an intuitive explanation of the survival of patients and the assumption of proportional hazards (PH) must be satisfied. Under this context, the restricted mean survival time (RMST) can be used as a relatively effective measure or index of statistics. This paper introduces the RMST-based statistical analysis methods, including estimation of RMST and its difference, hypothesis testing and regression analysis. The application of RMST in data analysis is also introduced. All the evidence demonstrates that RMST can be used as an effective analytical tool with straightforward interpretation. RMST is also more effective than HR in comparing differences between groups, when non-PH is observed. Therefore, RMST is suggested to be stated along with HR in the process of disease efficacy evaluation and prognosis analysis. Cooperation and complement of the two, a precise reflection on the characteristics of data can be expected.

[The effect of pre-operation (125)I seed activity measuring on dose accuracy]

Objective: To measure the activity of (125)I seed and compare the dose difference of ten patients treated with seed implantation in pre-plan with actual seed activity and calibrate activity. Method: The activity of 100 seeds from company A and B was measured with a well-type ionization chamber 1 day before operation and named group A and B. The activity of two groups was compared and the error between actual and calibrate activity (22.2 MBq, group C) was calculated. Ten patients implanted with (125)I seeds from November 1 st to 30 th, 2017, solstice 30 were selected in Hebei General Hospital. Firstly, pre-plans were designed with 22.2 MBq, prescribed dose were 100-140 Gy. The dose parameters of 90% volume absorbed dose (D(90)), 150% volume fraction (V(150)) and 100% volume fraction (V(100)) were calculated. Then changed 22.2 MBq to actual activity of group A and B, calculated the dose parameters above again. Then dose parameters of D(90), V(150), V(100) in group C were compared with those in group A and B respectively. Result: The actual activity 1 day before the operation was(22.6±0.7)and(23.9±0.9)MBq in group A and B respectively. Compared with 22.2 MBq, the difference was statistically significant(t=5.7, P<0.05 and t=19.2, P<0.05), and the activity error of group B was greater than 5%. The D(90) of group A, B and C were (124.3±9.7) , (131.2±10.2) and (121.9±9.5) Gy respectively.The V(150) were 58.4%±9.4%, 63.7%±8.9% and 56.5%±9.2% respectively. The V(100) were 88.9%±5.0%, 92.0%±4.1%, 88.1%±5.2% respectively.The difference of D(90) between calibrate activity(group C) and actual activity(group A and B) were statistically significant (t=40.2, P<0.05 and t=40.3, P<0.05). The difference of V(150) between group C and group A and B were statistically significant (t=7.5, P<0.05 and t=24.7, P<0.05). The difference of V(100) between group C and group A and B were statistically significant (t=6.6, P<0.05 and t=7.3, P<0.05). Conclusion: There is difference between the actual activity and calibration activity. The difference affects the dose parameters in pre-plan.The seed activity should be measured before operation strictly and the pre-plan should be designed with the actual activity.

Measurement of the toroidal radiation asymmetry during massive gas injection triggered disruptions on J-TEXT

Disruptions have the potential to cause severe damage to large tokamaks like ITER. The mitigation of disruption damage is one of the essential issues for the tokamak. Massive gas injection (MGI) is a technique in which large amounts of a noble gas are injected into the plasma in order to safely radiate the plasma energy evenly over the entire plasma-facing wall. However, the radiated energy during the disruption triggered by massive gas injection is found to be toroidally asymmetric. In order to investigate the spatial and temporal structures of the radiation asymmetry, the radiated power diagnostics for the J-TEXT tokamak have been upgraded. The multi-channel arrays of absolute extreme ultraviolet photodiodes have been upgraded at four different toroidal positions to investigate the radiation asymmetries during massive gas injection. It is found that the toroidal asymmetry is associated with plasma properties and MGI induced MHD activities.

Hyperbolic lens design of local oscillator optics system for electron cyclotron emission imaging on J-TEXT

An electron cyclotron emission imaging diagnostic system that contains two 16-antenna arrays is being developed on J-TEXT tokamak. In this heterodyne system, the mixers in the front microwave antenna are used to down-convert the electron cyclotron emission to a 2-12 GHz radio frequency. All of the 24 antenna mixers in the individual enclosure box are driven by shining local oscillator (LO) power via launching optics. The previous approach for LO optics was designed with spherical and cylinder lenses, which has limitations such as the inhomogeneity of the energy deposition on different channels and the difficulty of optics alignment. A new generation of LO optics has been designed and applied on J-TEXT with a hyperbolic lens for uniform power deposition across the entire antenna array. The robustness of the optical alignment will be significantly increased with three hyperbolic lenses. Furthermore, the simulation results and robustness analysis of these LO optics are discussed in this paper.

Design of a shattered pellet injection system on J-TEXT tokamak

Disruptions have the possibility of causing severe wall damage to large tokamaks like ITER. The mitigation of disruption damage is essential to the safe operation of a large-scale tokamak. The shattered pellet injection (SPI) technique, which is regarded as the primary injection method for ITER, presents several advantages relative to massive gas injection, including more rapid particle delivery, higher total particle assimilation, and more centrally peaked particle deposition. A dedicated argon SPI system that focuses on disruption mitigation and runaway current dissipation has been designed for the Joint Texas Experimental Tokamak (J-TEXT). A refrigerator is used to form a single argon pellet at around 64 K. The pellet will be shaped with a 5 mm diameter and a 1.5-10 mm length. Helium gas at room temperature will be used as a propellant gas for pellet acceleration. The pellet can be injected with a speed of 150-300 m/s. The time interval between injection cycles is about 8 min. The pellet will be shattered at the edge of the plasma and then injected into the core of plasma. The first experiments of SPI fast shutdown and runaway current dissipation have been performed.

Vertical fast electron bremsstrahlung diagnostic on J-TEXT tokamak

Fast electron bremsstrahlung (FEB) emission during Ohmic discharge experiments on the Joint Texas Experimental Tokamak (J-TEXT) has been measured by a recently developed vertical multi-channel FEB diagnostic based on CdZnTe detectors. There are 5 sight lines to observe the vertical emission of fast electrons at the high-field side with a spatial resolution of 5 cm. The FEB emission in the energy range of 30-300 keV can be measured. The generation of fast electrons accelerated by loop voltage has been confirmed during the early phase of discharge by analyzing the signals of FEB emission. The runaway electron beam instabilities have been observed with the FEB diagnostic on J-TEXT.

Measurement of electron temperature fluctuations on J-TEXT via correlation ECE

The capabilities of the joint-Texas experimental tokamak correlation electron cyclotron emission (CECE) diagnostic have recently been extended with an upgrade. Four new yttrium iron garnet (YIG) filters from 4 GHz to 18 GHz with a bandwidth of 90 ∼ 230 MHz are added to the previous 4 channels. Optical optimization of the transmission line has improved the poloidal resolution, which allows k _θ < 3.08 cm^-1. The improvement of video amplifiers allows the frequency and amplitude gain to be adjusted discretely from 200 kHz to 1 MHz and from 200 to 1000, respectively, for different situations. A controller is designed to remotely adjust the center frequency of the YIG filters. Based on the CECE, the distribution and the effect of magnetohydrodynamic instabilities on electron temperature fluctuations have been observed. The experiment results show good performance of the upgraded CECE diagnostic.

[Beneficial effects of Schisandrin B on the cardiac structure and function in a mice model of myocardial infarction]

Objective: To investigate whether Schisandrin B (Sch B) could improve cardiac structure and function in myocardial infarction (MI) mice and related mechanisms. Methods: Male C57BL/6J mice were randomized into sham (n=8), MI+ Sch B (n=24, 80 mg·kg(-1)·d(-1) per gavage) or MI+ vehicle (n=24, equal volume). After treatment for 3 weeks, cardiac function was detected by echocardiography measurement.Infarction size was measured by Evans blue and TTC staining.HE and Masson trichrome staining were used to observe the myocardial inflammation, structure and fibrosis.TNF-α, TGF-β, IL-1β were detected by ELISA. The apoptosis index of ischemic myocardial cells was detected by immunofluorescence. NF-κB, Bcl-2, Bax, Akt phosphorylated Akt(p-Akt), eNOS, phosphorylated eNOS (p-eNOS) were detected by Western blot. Results: Three weeks after operation, survival rate (83.33% vs. 54.17%, P<0.05), LVEF((51.77±8.50)% vs.(40.23±8.30)%, P<0.05), LVFS((26.44±5.15)% vs. (19.53±4.56)%, P<0.05)were significantly higher; LVEDD ((4.13±0.40) mm vs.(4.44±0.46)mm, P<0.05), LVESD((3.07±0.39) mm vs. (3.46±0.52)mm, P<0.05), the heart weight/body weight ratio((0.59±0.06)% vs. (0.68±0.10)%, P<0.05)was significantly lower and infarct size ((23.4±2.36)% vs. (39.4±2.06)%, P<0.05) was significantly reduced in MI+ Sch B group than those in MI+ vehicle group. In MI+ vehicle group, HE staining showed a large number of inflammatory cells in the peri-infarctl region, and the permutation structure was very disorganized, while above changes were significantly reduced in the MI+ Sch B group. Masson staining results showed that the degree of myocardial fibrosis in MI+ Sch B group was significantly less than that of MI+ vehicle group.Moreover, Sch B could down-regulate some inflammatory cytokines, like NF-κB、TGF-β、TNF-α and IL-1β, activate Akt-eNOS pathway, upgrade Bcl-2 and downgrade Bax and reduce cell apoptosis as compared with MI+ vehicle group (all P<0.05). Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that Sch B can reduce inflammation, inhibit apoptosis, and attenuate cardiac remodeling and improve cardiac function in this mice MI model.Sch B might serve as a potential novel therapeutic agent for ischemic heart disease.

[Comparison of the short-term and long-term outcomes of laparoscopic surgery and open surgery for early-stage cervical cancer]

Objective: To evaluate the short-term and long-term outcomes after laparoscopic surgery compared with traditional laparotomy in cases of stage ⅠA2-ⅡA2 cervical cancer. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study on the clinical data of 1 863 patients diagnosed as FIGO stages ⅠA2-ⅡA2 cervical cancer in 6 third-grade class-A hospitals in Guangxi province between January 2007 and May 2014. One thousand and seventy-one received laparoscopy, and 792 received laparotomy. T-test, U-test and χ(2) test were used to compare the short-term and long-term outcomes. The short-term outcomes included surgical related outcomes and operative complications, and the long-term outcomes included quality of life (pelvic floor functions and sexual functions), survival and recurrence. Pelvic floor function and sexual function were assessed with the International Consultation on Incontinence Quesonnaire Female Lower Urinary tract(ICIQ-FLUTS) and the Female Sexual Function Inventory (FSFI), respectively. Survival rates were estimated by Kaplan-Meier analysis. The survival curves were compared with Log-rank test. Cox regression analysis was used to evaluaterisk factors for prognosis. Results: (1)The short-term outcomes : There were significant difference in operative time([(257±69) vs(238±56)min], estimated blood loss[(358±314) vs(707±431)ml], anus exhausting time[(2.5±0.9) vs (2.9±0.8)d], preserved days of catheter[(15±7) vs(18±9)d], and post-operative length of stay[(19±16) vs (30±21)d] between the laparoscopic surgery group and the opensurgery group(P<0.05). There was no significant difference in lymph nodes yielded[(21±9) vs (21±11)], left parametrial width[(2.5±0.8) vs (2.7±0.7)cm], right parametrial width [(2.6±0.3) vs (2.7±0.2)cm], vaginal cuff length[(2.4±0.7) vs (2.2±0.7)cm] between the laparoscopic surgery group and the opensurgery group(P>0.05). The intra-operative complications occurred in 8.1%(87/1 071)in the laparoscopic surgery group and in 10.7%(85/792)in the open surgery group(P>0.05). However, the complications of vascular injury in the laparoscopic surgery group[2.6%(28/1 071)]was lower than that in the open surgery group[7.7%(61/792), P<0.001]. The laparoscopic surgery exhibited lower post- operative complication rate [33.8%(362/1 071)vs 40.2%(318/792), P<0.05] and poorer wound healing rate [0.7%(7/1 071)vs 4.0%(32/792), P<0.05]. (2)The long-term outcomes(Hierarchical analysis): The overall incontinence in ICIQ-FLUTS questionnaire in nerve-sparing laparoscopic group [28.4%(67/236)] was lower than that in the open surgery group [35.9%(71/198), P=0.004] . However, There was no significant difference in degree of incontinence between the two groups(P>0.05). The overall sexual dysfunction in FSFI questionnaire after 12 months of postoperative in the nerve-sparing laparoscopic group [47.0%(111/236)]was lower than that in the open surgery group [58.6%(116/198), P=0.001], and the six different dimension scores in the laparoscopic surgery group were higher than that in the open surgery group (P<0.05). The recurrence rate was 3.5%(35/1 007)in the laparoscopicsurgery group and 4.7%(35/740)in the open surgery group(P>0.05). The 5-year OS was 94.0% for the laparoscopic surgery group and 90.2% for the open surgery group(P>0.05), and the 5-year DFS was 93.9% for the laparoscopic surgery group and 89.1% for the open surgery group(P>0.05). (3) Prognostic fators: In univariate analysis, tumor dimension, clinical stage, deep stromal invasion, LVSI, and retroperitoneal lymph node metastasis signficantly affected 5-year OS and 5-year DFS(P<0.05); In multivariate analyses, LVSI, deep stromal invasion and LN metastasis were independent prognostic factors(P<0.05). Conclusions: Laparoscopy can reduceestimated blood loss, accelerate postoperative recovery and improve the quality of life after surgery compared to laparotomy, and it ensures the same oncological results as open surgery. Laparoscopic approach is a safe and effective treatment for early-stage cervical cancer.

[Clinical validation of multiple biomarkers suspension array technology for ovarian cancer]

Objective: To investigates the diagnostic value of combined detection serum CCL18, CXCL1 antigen, C1D, TM4SF1, FXR1, TIZ IgG autoantibody by suspension array for ovarian cancer. Methods: Suspension array was used to detect CCL18, CXCL1 antigen, C1D, TM4SF1, FXR1, TIZ IgG autoantibody in 120 cases of healthy women, 204 cases of patients with benign pelvic tumors, 119 cases of pelvic malignant tumor patients, and 40 cases with breast cancer, lung cancer oroliver cancer, respectively. Constructed diagnosis model of combined detection six biomarkers for diagnosis of ovarian malignant tumor. Constructed diagnosis model of combined detection autoantibodies to diagnose epithelial ovarian cancer. Analysed the value of detecting six biomarkers for diagnosis of ovarian malignant tumor and detecting autoantibodies for diagnosis of epithelial ovarian cancer. Analysed diagnostic value of detecting six biomarkers to diagnose stage Ⅰ and Ⅱepithelial ovarian cancer. Compared diagnostic value of detecting six biomarkers in diagnosis of tissue types and pathologic grading with that of CA(125). Results: Model of combined detecting six biomarkers to diagnose ovarian malignant tumor was logit (P) =-11.151+0.008×C1D+0.011×TM4SF1+0.011×TIZ-0.008×FXR1+0.021×CCL18+0.200×CXCL1. Model of combined detection autoantibodies to diagnose epithelial ovarian cancer was logit (P) =-5.137+0.013×C1D+0.014×TM4SF1+0.060×TIZ-0.060×FXR1. Sensitivity and specificity of detecting six biomarker to diagnose ovarian malignant tumor was 90.6% and 98.7%. Sensitivity and specificity of detecting autoantibodies to diagnose epithelial ovarian cancer was 75.8% and 96.7%. Combined detection for six biomarkers to diagnose serous and mucinous ovarian cancer was statistically no better than those of CA(125) (P=0.196 and P=0.602, respectively); there was significantly difference in diagnosis of ovarian cancer (P=0.023), and there was no significantly difference in diagnosis of different pathological grading (P=0.089 and P=0.169, respectively). Conclusions: Constructing diagnosis model of combined detection six biomarker to diagnose ovarian malignant tumor and constructed diagnosis model of combined detectionautoantibodies to diagnose epithelial ovarian cancer. Combined detection six biomarkers to diagnose serous and mucinous ovarian tumors is better than that of CA(125).

[The management for pediatric chronic rhinosinusitis with upper respiratory tract concomitant diseases]

Objective:To analyze the clinical impact of upper respiratory tract concomitant diseases in pediatrics chronic rhinosinusitis(CRS) and treatment methods, efficacy and timing of the concomitant diseases.Method:Two hundred and sixty-seven cases with CRS at a tertiary children's medical center from March 2013 to March 2015 were included in this study. The cases were divided into two groups according to the concomitant diseases. 66 cases without concomitant diseases were allocated into group A；201 cases with concomitant diseases were classified into group B. Group B was further divided into two subgroups according to treatment methods: subgroup B1(97 cases) and subgroup B2(104 cases). Group A and B1 were given the same basic treatment for 3 months，while Group B2 was given the basic plus targeted treatment for the same duration. Comprehensive evaluation was conducted at 3, 6 and 15-months after commencement of treatment. Result:The therapeutic effect of Group A was significantly superior to Group B1 in 3 months（P<0.05）.The clinical efficacy of Group A decreased slightly while Group B1 showed significantly reduced efficacy at 6 and 15-months （all P<0.05）. Comparing Group B1 and B2, the comprehensive effect of Group B2 was considerably better than Group B1 at 3 months（P<0.05）. Furthermore, Group B2 showed no decrease in efficacy while Group B1 decreased significantly at 6 and 15-month. Conclusion:Recurrent upper respiratory tract infections, allergic rhinitis, adenoid hypertrophy and chronic tonsillitis, were common the upper respiratory tract accompanying diseases in children with CRS, and they had significant influence on the efficacy and recurrence of CRS. The basic plus targeted treatment can improve the efficacy and reduce recurrence.

Quasi mode-locking of coherent feedback random fiber laser

Mode-locking is a milestone in the history of lasers that allows the generation of short light pulses and stabilization of lasers. This phenomenon is known to occur only in standard ordered lasers for long time and until recently it is found that it also occurs in disordered random lasers formed by nanoscale particles. Here, we report the realization of a so-called quasi mode-locking of coherent feedback random fiber laser which consists of a partially disordered linear cavity formed between a point reflector and a random distributed fiber Bragg grating array with an inserted graphene saturable absorber. We show that multi-groups of regular light pulses/sub-pulses with different repetition frequencies are generated within the quasi mode-locking regime through the so-called collective resonances phenomenon in such a random fiber laser. This work may provide a platform to study mode locking as well as pulse dynamic regulation of random lasing emission of coherent feedback disordered structures and pave the way to the development of novel multi-frequency pulse fiber lasers with potentially wide frequency tuning range.

Interleukin-8 -251A/T polymorphism and periodontitis susceptibility: a meta-analysis

The -251A/T polymorphism in the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-8 (IL-8) gene has been implicated in susceptibility to periodontitis; however, this correlation has not been elucidated. In this meta-analysis, we investigated the association between the IL-8 -251A/T polymorphism and the risk of periodontitis. All eligible case-control studies published until August 2014 were identified and extracted from PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, China National Knowledge Internet, and WanFang databases. The strength of this association was accessed by pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), using either a fixed- or random-effect model. Nine case-control studies, including 1811 cases and 2043 controls, were identified. Overall, no significant associations were found between the IL-8 -251A/T polymorphism and the risk of periodontitis. The results of the analysis of periodontitis subgroup revealed similarities between chronic periodontitis and aggressive periodontitis. An additional analysis based on ethnicity revealed an association between the IL-8 -251A/T polymorphism and periodontitis among Asians (dominant model, OR = 1.784, 95%CI = 1.130-2.817) and a mixed population (AA vs TT, OR = 0.667, 95%CI = 0.471-0.974). The results of this meta-analysis suggest that the IL-8 -251A/T polymorphism may increase the risk of periodontitis in Asian and mixed populations. However, larger and well-designed studies are warranted to validate our findings.

Electron cyclotron emission radiometer upgrade on the J-TEXT tokamak

To meet experimental requirements, the J-TEXT electron cyclotron emission (ECE) diagnostic is being upgraded. The front end antenna and transmission line have been modified and a new 8-channel W-band detecting unit has been developed. The improved ECE system will extend the frequency range from 94.5-124.5 GHz to 80.5-124.5 GHz. This will enable the system to cover the most plasma in the radius direction for B_T = 1.8-2.2 T, and it even can cover almost the whole plasma range ρ = - 0.8-0.9 (minus means the high field side) at B_T = 1.8 T. A new auxiliary channel bank with 8 narrow band, tunable yttrium iron garnet filters is planned to add to the ECE system. Due to observations along a major radius, perpendicular to B_T, and relatively low electron temperature, Doppler and relativistic broadening are minimal and thus high spatial resolution measurements can be made at variable locations with these tunable channels.

Measurement of the internal magnetic fluctuation by the transport of runaways on J-TEXT

The measurement of internal magnetic fluctuation is important for the study of transport in tokamak plasmas. The runaway electron transport induced by the sawtooth crash can be used to obtain the internal magnetic fluctuation. Inversed sawtooth-like activities on hard x-ray (HXR) fluxes following sawtooth activities were observed after the application of electrode biasing on J-TEXT tokamak. The runaway diffusion coefficient D_r is deduced to be about 30 m²/s according to the time delay of HXR flux peaks to the sawtooth crashes. The averaged value of normalized magnetic fluctuation in the discharges with electrode biasing was increased to the order of 1 × 10^-4.

Temperature gradient scale length measurement: A high accuracy application of electron cyclotron emission without calibration

Calibration is a crucial procedure in electron temperature (T_e) inference from a typical electron cyclotron emission (ECE) diagnostic on tokamaks. Although the calibration provides an important multiplying factor for an individual ECE channel, the parameter ΔT_e/T_e is independent of any calibration. Since an ECE channel measures the cyclotron emission for a particular flux surface, a non-perturbing change in toroidal magnetic field changes the view of that channel. Hence the calibration-free parameter is a measure of T_e gradient. B_T-jog technique is presented here which employs the parameter and the raw ECE signals for direct measurement of electron temperature gradient scale length.

Design of the 2D electron cyclotron emission imaging instrument for the J-TEXT tokamak

A new 2D Electron Cyclotron Emission Imaging (ECEI) diagnostic is being developed for the J-TEXT tokamak. It will provide the 2D electron temperature information with high spatial, temporal, and temperature resolution. The new ECEI instrument is being designed to support fundamental physics investigations on J-TEXT including MHD, disruption prediction, and energy transport. The diagnostic contains two dual dipole antenna arrays corresponding to F band (90-140 GHz) and W band (75-110 GHz), respectively, and comprises a total of 256 channels. The system can observe the same magnetic surface at both the high field side and low field side simultaneously. An advanced optical system has been designed which permits the two arrays to focus on a wide continuous region or two radially separate regions with high imaging spatial resolution. It also incorporates excellent field curvature correction with field curvature adjustment lenses. An overview of the diagnostic and the technical progress including the new remote control technique are presented.

[Establishment and verification of detecting multiple biomarkers for ovarian cancer by suspension array technology]

Objective: Establish and validation of combined detecting of CCL18, CXCL1, C1D, TM4SF1, FXR1, TIZ suspension array technology. Methods: (1)CCL18, CXCL1 monoclonal antibody and C1D, TM4SF1, FXR1, TIZ protein were coupled with polyethylene microspheres. Biotinylated CCL18, CXCL1 polyclonal antibody and sheep anti-human IgG polyclonal antibody were prepared simultaneously. The best packaged concentrations of CCL18, CXCL1 monoclonal antibody and C1D, TM4SF1, FXR1, TIZ antigens were optimized. The best packaged concentrations of CCL18, CXCL1 polyclonal antibodys and C1D, TM4SF1, FXR1, TIZ sheep anti-human IgG polyclonal antibody were optimized to establish a stable detected suspension array.(2)Sixty patients confirmed by pathological examination with ovarian cancer(ovarian cancer group)which treated in Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, 30 patients with ovarian benign tumor(benign group)and 30 cases of healthy women(control group)were chosen between September 2003 and December 2003. Suspension array technology and ELISA method were used to detect expression of CCL18, CXCL1 antigen and C1D, TM4SF1, FXR1 and TIZ IgG autoantibody contented in 3 groups of serum, then to compare the diagnostic efficiency and diagnostic accuracy of two methods(coefficient of variation between batch and batch). Results: (1)This research successfully established stable detecting system of CCL18, CXCL1, C1D, TM4SF1, FXR1 and TIZ IgG autoantibody. The best concentration of CCL18, CXCL1 monoclonal antibody and C1D, TM4SF1, FXR1, TIZ antigen package were 8, 8, 12, 8, 4 and 8 μg/ml; the best detection of CCL18, CXCL1 biotin polyclonal antibody and C1D, TM4SF1, FXR1, TIZ sheep anti-huamne IgG polyclonal antibody were respectively 4, 2, 2, 4, 4 and 2 μg/ml.(2)Suspension array technology and ELISA method were used to detect CCL18, CXCL1 antigen and C1D, TM4SF1, FXR1, TIZ IgG autoantibody of three groups in serum were similar(P>0.05).(3)The comparison of two methods in the diagnosis of efficiency: the diagnostic accuracy of two methods were 99.2%(119/120)and 94.2%(113/120), the difference was statistically significant(P=0.031). The sensitivity of the diagnosis of ovarian cancer of two methods were 100.0%(60/60)and 93.3%(56/60), specific degrees were 100.0%(59/59)and 93.4%(57/61), positive predictive value was 100.0%(60/60)and 93.3%(56/60), negative predictive value was 98.3%(59/60)and 95.0%(57/60), the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).(4)The detected results of CCL18, CXCL1 antigen and C1D, TM4SF1, FXR1, TIZ IgG autoantibody shown that the diagnostic accuracy of suspension array technology was superior to those of ELISA method(all P<0.05). Conclusion: The study has established the stable detection of suspension array technology, and the diagnostic efficiency and diagnostic accuracy was much better than that by ELISA.

[Effects of ligustilide on the extracellular recombinant human heat shock protein 60 induced inflammatory reactions in the THP-1 cells and the related mechanisms]

Objective: To investigate the effects of ligustilide(LIG) on extracellular recombinant human heat shock protein 60 (HSP60) induced inflammatory reactions in the THP-1 cells and the related mechanisms. Methods: THP-1 cells were differentiated to macrophages by incubation with phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA). The immunofluorescence method was used to screen the optimum transfection concentration of MyD88 siRNA.The macrophages were divided into six groups(n=3), including blank control(siRNA transfection reagent), model(siRNA transfection reagent+ HSP60 10 mg/L), negative control(MyD88 negative control+ HSP60 10 mg/L), LIG group(siRNA transfection reagent+ HSP60 10 mg/L+ LIG 20 mg/L), RNA interfering(RNAi) group(MyD88 siRNA+ HSP60 10 mg/L) and RNAi+ LIG group(MyD88 siRNA+ HSP60 10 mg/L+ LIG 20 mg/L). The protein expression level of MyD88 and phospho-nuclear factor-κB(p-NF-κB) in macrophages and the level of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) and interleukin-6(IL-6) in the culture supernatant were assessed by Western blot analyses or ELISA, respectively. Results: (1)The protein expression levels of MyD88 (1.196±0.125 vs. 0.341±0.063, P<0.01) and p-NF-κB(0.817±0.034 vs. 0.312±0.046, P<0.01) were significantly higher in the model group than those in the blank control group.The protein expression levels of MyD88(0.554±0.043) and p-NF-κB(0.538±0.063) in the RNAi group were significantly lower than those in the model group (all P<0.01) but significantly higher than those in the blank control group (all P<0.05). The protein expression levels of MyD88(0.694±0.087, P<0.05) and p-NF-κB(0.669±0.043, P<0.01)in the LIG group were markedly lower than those in the model group, but higher than those in the RNAi group (P<0.05) and the blank control group (P<0.01). The protein expression levels of MyD88(0.409±0.069) and p-NF-κB(0.395±0.046) in the RNAi+ LIG group were significantly lower than in the model group (all P<0.01) and in the LIG group(P<0.05 or 0.01), and were similar to the blank control group(P>0.05). The expression level of p-NF-κB in the RNAi+ LIG group was significantly lower than in the RNAi group (P<0.05). (2) The contents of TNF-α((312.24±28.69) ng/L vs. (5.99±1.03) ng/L, P<0.01) and IL-6((233.45±57.77) ng/L vs. (2.25±0.67) ng/L, P<0.01) were significantly higher in the model group than in the blank control group. The contents of TNF-α((235.66±25.12) ng/L) and IL-6((131.59±13.99) ng/L) were significantly lower in the RNAi group than in the model group (P<0.01). The contents of TNF-α((258.13±44.80) ng/L) and IL-6((175.92±28.27) ng/L) were also significantly lower in the LIG group than in the model group(P<0.05) while the content of IL-6 was significantly higher in the LIG group than in the RNAi group(P<0.01). The contents of TNF-α((88.57±16.10) ng/L) and IL-6((59.99±10.31) ng/L) were significantly lower in the RNAi+ LIG group than those in the model group, the RNAi group and the LIG group(P<0.05 or 0.01). Conclusions: The MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway is one of the key signaling pathways of human HSP60 induced inflammation in THP-1 cells. Ligustilide could exhibit the anti-inflammatory effect probably by inhibiting the MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Identification of novel and useful EST-SSR markers from de novo transcriptome sequence of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Simple sequence repeats (SSRs) are highly informative, polymorphic, and co-dominant Mendelian markers that provide an important genomic resource for genetic research. Recently, the use of large-scale transcriptome sequence has become a reliable and efficient approach for the identification and development of new EST-SSR markers. In this study, 8389 potential SSRs with a minimum of five repetitions for all motifs were identified from 121,210 unigenes. Gene ontology analysis indicated that the unigenes containing SSR loci participate in various biological processes of regulation, growth, development, metabolism, and apoptosis in wheat. As in many other plants, trinucleotide repeats were found to be the most abundant repeat units with a frequency of 62.33%. A subset of 300 EST-SSRs was randomly selected for the applicability of EST-SSRs to be evaluated. Of the 300 primer pairs tested, 177 (59%) yielded unambiguous PCR products among five wheat cultivars. Using the Chinese Spring nulli-tetrasomic line, 131 of the 177 EST-SSR primer pairs yielded products and 178 loci were found to be located on all the 21 wheat chromosomes. These findings suggest that the novel EST-SSR markers, as a basis for future genetic linkage and gene tagging analysis, are a valuable tool for genetic mapping, marker assisted selection, and comparative genome analysis.

Directional Light Extinction and Emission in a Metasurface of Tilted Plasmonic Nanopillars

Plasmonic optical antennas and metamaterials with an ability to boost light-matter interactions for particular incidence or emission angles could find widespread use in solar harvesting, biophotonics, and in improving photon source performance at optical frequencies. However, directional plasmonic structures have generally large footprints or require complicated geometries and costly nanofabrication technologies. Here, we present a directional metasurface realized by breaking the out-of-plane symmetry of its individual elements: tilted subwavelength plasmonic gold nanopillars. Directionality is caused by the complex charge oscillation induced in each individual nanopillar, which essentially acts as a tilted dipole above a dielectric interface. The metasurface is homogeneous over a macroscopic area and it is fabricated by a combination of facile colloidal lithography and off-normal metal deposition. Fluorescence excitation and emission from dye molecules deposited on the metasurface is enhanced in specific directions determined by the tilt angle of the nanopillars. We envisage that these directional metasurfaces can be used as cost-effective substrates for surface-enhanced spectroscopies and a variety of nanophotonic applications.

A new perspective on the IIIC staging in Chinese patients with primary breast cancer: Single-center experiences

PURPOSE

The purpose of this retrospective study was to investigate whether Stage IIIC (TanyN3M0) breast cancer can be classified further into subgroups with different prognosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

One hundred and thirty-two patients with Stage IIIC breast cancer at Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital were analyzed. The disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated by Kaplan-Meier method for lymph node ratio (LNR) and the number of positive lymph node (PLN). The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to determine the optimal cut-off value of the LNR and PLN. The univariate and multivariate analysis were applied to identify the prognostic factors.

RESULTS

The results showed that the optimal cut-off value of LNR value was 0.65, and the optimal cut-off value of PLN was 15. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed the higher value of LNR or PLN was correlated with shortened DFS (P = 0.002, P = 0.008, respectively) and OS (P < 0.001, P = 0.001, respectively). In multivariate survival analysis, the value of LNR and PLN were still remained as independent prognostic factors for DFS (P = 0.014, P = 0.013, respectively) and OS (P = 0.004, P = 0.002, respectively).

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that the value of LNR or PLN could be used as a new significant prognostic biomarker for Stage IIIC breast cancer patients. Stage IIIC breast cancer patients with lower value of LNR or PLN may be down staged.

Development of calibration facility for radon and its progenies at NIM (China)

Accurate measurement of radon and its progenies is the basis to control the radon dose and reduce the risk of lung cancer caused. The precise calibration of measuring instrument is an important part of the quality control of measurements of the concentration of radon and radon progenies. To establish Chinese national standards and realise reliable calibrations of measuring instrument for radon and its progenies, a radon chamber with regulation capability of environmental parameters, aerosol and radon concentrations was designed and constructed at National Institute of Metrology (NIM). The chamber has a total volume of ∼20 m(3) including an exposure volume of 12.44 m(3). The radon concentration can be controlled from 12 Bq m(-3) to the maximum of 232 kBq m(-3). The regulation range of temperature, relative humidity and aerosol are 0.66 -44.39°C, 16.4 -95 %RH and 10(2) -10(6) cm(-3), respectively. The main advantages of the NIM radon chamber with respect to maintaining a stable concentration and equilibrium factor of radon progenies in a wide range through automatic regulation and control of radon and aerosol are described.

All optical mode controllable Er-doped random fiber laser with distributed Bragg gratings

An all-optical method to control the lasing modes of Er-doped random fiber lasers (RFLs) is proposed and demonstrated. In the RFL, an Er-doped fiber (EDF) recoded with randomly separated fiber Bragg gratings (FBG) is used as the gain medium and randomly distributed reflectors, as well as the controllable element. By combining random feedback of the FBG array and Fresnel feedback of a cleaved fiber end, multi-mode coherent random lasing is obtained with a threshold of 14 mW and power efficiency of 14.4%. Moreover, a laterally-injected control light is used to induce local gain perturbation, providing additional gain for certain random resonance modes. As a result, active mode selection of the RFL is realized by changing locations of the laser cavity that is exposed to the control light.

Identification of differentially expressed genes in a pistillody common wheat mutant using an annealing control primer system

HTS-1 is a new kind of pistillody wheat. All or parts of its stamen are transformed into pistils or pistil-like structures, and it has more seed sets per floret than normal wheat under normal cultivation conditions. To investigate the expression divergence in this mutant, an annealing control primer system was used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the young spikelets. As a result, three DEGs, including HDB2, HGF2, and HCG4, were detected, with variable expression in HTS-1 and the control. After further confirmation using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis, these genes were overexpressed in HTS-1 wheat. NGF2 was identified in the double ridge to floret differentiation stages; HDB2 and HCG4 were identified in the stage of pistil and stamen-differentiating. Therefore, we inferred that the homeotic transformation of stamens into pistil-like structures occurred during the early stage of stamen development. Sequence alignment analysis revealed that HDB2 encodes a putative protein of 189 amino acids, with high homology to the DEAD-box ATP-dependent RNA helicase, and HCG4 was identical to the Chinese spring wheat cDNA clone predicted protein according to GenBank. However, NGF2 was not found to have significant similarity to any reported proteins, suggesting it is a new functional gene in wheat. The results suggest that HDB2, HCG4, and HGF2 are minor genes contributing to pistillody trait formation in HTS-1.

The design of a correlation electron cyclotron emission system on J-TEXT

To study the anomalous transport, a correlation electron cyclotron emission (CECE) was planned to be developed on J-TEXT for electron temperature fluctuation measurement. The spectral decorrelation method was employed for the CECE system. It was developed based on the previous 16-channel electron cyclotron emission system. They shared the optical transmission line and mixer. The CECE part consists of 4 channels. Two fixed frequency narrow band filters were used for two channels and two yttrium iron garnet (YIG) filters for the other two channels. To meet the measuring requirement, some tests have been taken for the YIG filters. The results show good performance of the filters. Gaussian optics is used to produce a good poloidal resolution. Wavenumbers resolved by the CECE diagnostic are k(θ) ≤ 1.5 rad/cm and k(r) ≤ 12 rad/cm. Some preliminary experiment results are also presented in this paper.

Optical magnetism and plasmonic Fano resonances in metal-insulator-metal oligomers

The possibility of achieving optical magnetism at visible frequencies using plasmonic nanostructures has recently been a subject of great interest. The concept is based on designing structures that support plasmon modes with electron oscillation patterns that imitate current loops, that is, magnetic dipoles. However, the magnetic resonances are typically spectrally narrow, thereby limiting their applicability in, for example, metamaterial designs. We show that a significantly broader magnetic response can be realized in plasmonic pentamers constructed from metal-insulator-metal (MIM) sandwich particles. Each MIM unit acts as a magnetic meta-atom and the optical magnetism is rendered quasi-broadband through hybridization of the in-plane modes. We demonstrate that scattering spectra of individual MIM pentamers exhibit multiple Fano resonances and a broad subradiant spectral window that signals the magnetic interaction and a hierarchy of coupling effects in these intricate three-dimensional nanoparticle oligomers.

Molecular characteristic and expression analysis of collagenolytic serine protease from the Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis with defense response to Vibrio anguillarum challenge

A novel collagenolytic serine protease (CLSP) was cloned from the hemocytes of the Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis (Es-CLSP). The full-length cDNA of Es-CLSP contains 990 nucleotides. It encodes a 270-amino acid-long peptide with the mature peptide containing 221 amino acids. It contains the conserved catalytic triad (H, D, and S). Similarity analysis shows that Es-CLSP shares high identity with CLSPs from the fiddler crab Uca pugilator. Es-CLSP mRNA expression in E. sinensis is a) tissue-related with the highest expression in hemocytes and widely distributed, b) highly responsive to Vibrio anguillarum challenge in hemocytes, and c) a different response to the intruding pathogens. The results of this study demonstrate the successful isolation of Es-CLSP and indicate that Es-CLSP is an immune-related gene, and show the possible role of CLSP in the invertebrate innate immune system.

Upgraded high time-resolved x-ray imaging crystal spectroscopy system for J-TEXT ohmic plasmas

This paper presents the upgraded x-ray imaging crystal spectrometer (XICS) system on Joint Texas Experimental Tokamak (J-TEXT) tokamak and the latest experimental results obtained in last campaign. With 500 Hz frame rate of the new Pilatus detector and 5 cm × 10 cm spherically bent crystal, the XICS system can provide core electron temperature (Te), core ion temperature (Ti), and plasma toroidal rotation (VΦ) with a maximum temporal resolution of 2 ms for J-TEXT pure ohmic plasmas. These parameters with high temporal resolution are very useful in tokamak plasma research, especially for rapidly changed physical processes. The experimental results from the upgraded XICS system are presented.

Design and implementation of a 150 GHz single-channel millimeter wave interferometer on Joint TEXT tokamak

A simple, single-channel millimeter-wave interferometer system has been designed, fabricated, and installed on the J-TEXT tokamak. For the plasma density anticipated on J-TEXT, a solid-state source operating at 150 GHz has been chosen to minimize errors due to both vibration along the beam path and refraction in the plasma. The new aspect of the interferometer design is to use a subharmonic mixer for detection with a frequency doubled 150 GHz source. It employs a single source which is bias-tuned and modulated with a sawtooth wave form up to 100 kHz in order to generate the intermediate frequency. The 12.5 GHz voltage-controlled oscillator is multiplied to 75 GHz before a final doubler raises it to 150 GHz. A portion of the 75 GHZ power is used for the local oscillator (LO) and is directly connected to the LO input of the subharmonic mixer. The phase is evaluated by a digital phase comparator using a software-based algorithm. Detection noise limits the minimum resolvable phase change with the interferometer to ±0.05 fringe, which corresponds to an averaged electron density change along the chord of ±1.1 × 10(17) m(-2). The maximum measurable electron density is expected to be ∼9 × 10(19) m(-3). A comparison of preliminary results from the millimeter wave interferometer with that from the far-infrared hydrogen cyanide laser (wavelength of 337 μm) interferometer shows good agreement during the pulse flat-top period. The millimeter wave interferometer system will be used as a part of the density feedback control system in the future.

Isolation and phylogenetic analysis of novel γ-gliadin genes in genus Dasypyrum

As the most ancient member of the wheat gluten family, the γ-gliadin genes are suitable for phylogenetic analysis among wheat and related species. Species in the grass genus Dasypyrum have been widely used for wheat cross breeding. However, the genomic relationships among Dasypyrum species have been little studied. We isolated 22 novel γ-gliadin gene sequences, among which 10 are putatively functional. The open reading frame lengths of these sequences range from 642 to 933 bp, and these putative proteins consist of five domains. Phylogenetic analyses showed that all Dasypyrum γ-gliadin gene sequences clustered in a large group; D. villosum and tetraploid D. breviaristatum γ-gliadin gene sequences clustered in a subgroup, while diploid D. breviaristatum γ-gliadin gene sequences clustered at the edge of the subgroup. All of the Dasypyrum γ-gliadin gene sequences were absent in three major T cell-stimulatory epitopes binding to HLA-DQ2/8 in celiac disease patients. Based on the phylogenetic analyses, we suggest that D. villosum and tetraploid D. breviaristatum evolved in parallel from a diploid ancestor D. breviaristatum.

A 16-channel heterodyne electron cyclotron emission radiometer on J-TEXT

To study equilibrium temporal dynamics and the mechanisms of magnetohydrodynamic instabilities, a 16-channel heterodyne electron cyclotron emission (ECE) radiometer has been developed to view the J-TEXT tokamak from the low field side. The ECE radiometer detects second-harmonic extraordinary mode in the frequency band of 94-125 GHz which corresponds to resonances from 1.8 T to 2.2 T. This ECE system consists of an ECE transmission line, a radio frequency unit, and two 8-channel intermediate frequency units. An in situ blackbody calibration source is applied for system calibration by comparison of hot and cold sources in order to provide an absolute temperature measurement.