Cross-Beam Energy Transfer Saturation by Ion Heating

We measure cross-beam energy transfer (CBET) saturation by ion heating in a gas-jet plasma characterized using Thomson scattering. A wavelength-tunable ultraviolet (UV) probe laser beam interacts with four intense UV pump beams to drive large-amplitude ion-acoustic waves. For the highest-intensity interactions, the power transfer to the probe laser drops, demonstrating ion-acoustic wave saturation. Over this time, the ion temperature is measured to increase by a factor of 7 during the 500-ps interaction. Particle-in-cell simulations show ion trapping and a subsequent ion heating consistent with measurements. Linear kinetic CBET models are found to agree well with the observed energy transfer when the measured plasma conditions are used.

Combining derivative Raman with autofluorescence to improve the diagnosis performance of echinococcosis

Echinococcosis is a zoonotic parasitic disease transmitted by animals and distributed all over the world. There is no standardized and widely accepted treatment method, and early and accurate diagnosis is crucial for the prevention and cure of echinococcosis. Here, we explored the feasibility of using derivative Raman in combination with autofluorescence (AF) to improve the diagnosis performance of echinococcosis. The spectra of serum samples from patients with echinococcosis, as well as healthy volunteers, were recorded at 633 nm excitation. The normalized mean Raman spectra showed that there is a decrease in the relative amounts of β carotene and phenylalanine and an increase in the percentage of tryptophan, tyrosine, and glutamic acid contents in the serum of echinococcosis patients as compared to that of healthy subjects. Then, principal components analysis (PCA), combined with linear discriminant analysis (LDA), were adopted to distinguish echinococcosis patients from healthy volunteers. Based on the area under the ROC curve (AUC) value, the derivative Raman + AF spectral data set achieved the optimal results. The AUC value was improved by 0.08 for derivative Raman + AF (AUC = 0.98), compared to Raman alone. The results demonstrated that the fusion of derivative Raman and AF could effectively improve the performance of the diagnostic model, and this technique has great application potential in the clinical screening of echinococcosis.

Screening of highly effective mixed natural antioxidants to improve the oxidative stability of microalgal DHA-rich oil

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-rich oil sourced from microalgae can easily become oxidized. The objective of this work was to screen the optimal natural antioxidant mixture for protecting DHA-rich oil. Different natural antioxidants, encompassing tea polyphenols, natural vitamin E, rosemary extract, licorice root antioxidant, ascorbyl palmitate and lecithin were tested individually and in combination in an accelerated oxidation process. Three antioxidants namely natural vitamin E, rosemary extract and ascorbyl palmitate with synergistic effects were chosen, and their concentrations were further optimized using response-surface methodology. The highest antioxidants activity of 16.1740 was obtained with a combination of 0.0224% vitamin E, 0.0259% rosemary extract and 0.0166% ascorbyl palmitate, which prolonged the time until oxidation induction to 20.21 days. The mixed natural antioxidants showed a similar antioxidant effect to 0.02% tert-butylhydroquinone and was better than 0.02% butylated hydroxyanisole. These data indicate that the mixed natural antioxidants optimized in this work can be directly applied in the protection of commercial microalgal DHA-rich oil.

Functional Analysis of OsMED16 and OsMED25 in Response to Biotic and Abiotic Stresses in Rice

Mediator complex is a multiprotein complex that regulates RNA polymerase II-mediated transcription. Moreover, it functions in several signaling pathways, including those involved in response to biotic and abiotic stresses. We used virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) to study the functions of two genes, namely OsMED16 and OsMED25 in response to biotic and abiotic stresses in rice. Both genes were differentially induced by Magnaporthe grisea (M. grisea), the causative agent of blast disease, hormone treatment, and abiotic stress. We found that both BMV: OsMED16- and BMV: OsMED25-infiltrated seedlings reduced the resistance to M. grisea by regulating the accumulation of H₂O₂ and expression of defense-related genes. Furthermore, BMV: OsMED16-infiltrated seedlings decreased the tolerance to cold by increasing the malondialdehyde (MDA) content and reducing the expression of cold-responsive genes.

SKIP Silencing Decreased Disease Resistance Against Botrytis cinerea and Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 in Tomato

SKIP, a component of the spliceosome, is involved in numerous signaling pathways. However, there is no direct genetic evidence supporting the function of SKIP in defense responses. In this paper, two SKIPs, namely, SlSKIP1a and SlSKIP1b, were analyzed in tomato. qRT-PCR analysis showed that the SlSKIP1b expression was triggered via Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst) DC3000 and Botrytis cinerea (B. cinerea), together with the defense-associated signals. In addition, the functions of SlSKIP1a and SlSKIP1b in disease resistance were analyzed in tomato through the virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) technique. VIGS-mediated SlSKIP1b silencing led to increased accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), along with the decreased expression of defense-related genes (DRGs) after pathogen infection, suggesting that it reduced B. cinerea and Pst DC3000 resistance. There was no significant difference in B. cinerea and Pst DC3000 resistance in TRV-SlSKIP1a-infiltrated plants compared with the TRV-GUS-silencing counterparts. As suggested by the above findings, SlSKIP1b plays a vital role in disease resistance against pathogens possibly by regulating the accumulation of ROS as well as the expression of DRGs.

Improving probiotic spore yield using rice straw hydrolysate

Spore-forming Bacillus sp. has been extensively studied for their probiotic properties. In this study, an acid-treated rice straw hydrolysate was used as carbon source to produce the spores of Bacillus coagulans. The results showed that this hydrolysate significantly improved the spore yield compared with other carbon sources such as glucose. Three significant medium components including rice straw hydrolysate, MnSO₄ and yeast extract were screened by Plackett-Burman design. These significant variables were further optimized by response surface methodology (RSM). The optimal values of the medium components were rice straw hydolysate of 27% (v/v), MnSO₄ of 0·78 g l^-1 and yeast extract of 1·2 g l^-1 . The optimized medium and RSM model for spore production were validated in a 5 l bioreactor. Overall, this sporulation medium containing acid-treated rice straw hydrolysate has a potential to be used in the production of B. coagulans spores.

Comparative proteomic analysis of Rhizopus oryzae hyphae displaying filamentous and pellet morphology

Industrial strains of Rhizopus oryzae is known for its strong ability to produce L-( +)-lactic acid, ethanol, and fumaric acid at high yields. To better understand the underlying mechanism behind the physiology of R. oryzae, we conducted the proteome changes between two different morphologies using two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry. R. oryzae exhibited pellet morphology and filamentous morphology when the initial pH of the culture medium was 3.0 and 5.0, respectively. The concentration of lactic acid reached 63.5 g L^-1 in the samples containing the pellet morphology, compared to 41.5 g L^-1 produced by filamentous R. oryzae. Proteomic analysis indicated that expression levels of 128 proteins changed significantly. Of these, 17 protein spots were successfully identified by mass spectrometry and were deemed to be mainly involved in carbohydrate metabolism, genetic information processing, chitin metabolism, protein catabolism, protein folding, and antioxidative pathway. L-lactate dehydrogenase (RO3G_06188), enolase (RO3G_05466) and 2, 3-bisphosphoglycerate-independent phosphoglycerate mutase (RO3G_02462) were found to be upregulated, while isocitrate dehydrogenase (RO3G_13820) was downregulated in the samples with pellet morphology compared to the filamentous hyphae. These results suggested that more carbon flow was directed towards lactic acid biosynthesis in R. oryzae hyphae with pellet morphology.

Image recovery of ghost imaging with sparse spatial frequencies

When the spatial frequencies of the object are insufficiently sampled, the reconstruction of ghost imaging will suffer from repetitive visual artifacts, which cannot be effectively tackled by existing ghost imaging reconstruction techniques. In this Letter, extensions of the CLEAN algorithm applied in ghost imaging are explored to eliminate those artifacts. Combined with the point spread function estimation using the second-order coherence measurement in ghost imaging, our modified CLEAN algorithm is demonstrated to have a fast and noteworthy improvement against the spatial-frequency insufficiency, even for the extreme sparse sampling cases. A brief explanation of the algorithm and performance analysis are given.

MTR D919G variant is associated with prostate adenocarcinoma risk: evidence based on 51106 subjects

OBJECTIVE

Several case-control studies have identified the association of the D919G polymorphism of the methionine synthase (MTR) gene with the risk of prostate adenocarcinoma (PRAD). However, the results were inconclusive.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Odds ratios (ORs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were evaluated to assess the correlation between MTR D919G variant and PRAD risk. In addition, in silico tools were used to demonstrate the relationship between MTR expression and PRAD risk and survival time.

RESULTS

The overall results from 10,617 PRAD cases and 40,489 control participants indicated the association of the MTR D919G variant with an increased risk of PRAD (allelic contrast: OR = 1.06, 95% CI = 1.01 - 1.11; GA vs. AA: OR = 1.08, 95% CI = 1.02 - 1.14; GG+GA vs. AA: OR = 1.08, 95% CI = 1.02 - 1.14). The stratified analysis yielded similar results for hospital based studies and those with larger sample sizes. Finally, the in silico results revealed lower MTR expression in PRAD tissue than in normal tissue (transcripts per million = 2.68 vs. 3.34, p<0.05). Furthermore, patients with high MTR expression and Gleason score = 6 exhibited reduced survival time (p<0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study indicated that the MTR D919G variant is associated with elevated risk to PRAD, especially for Asian descendants and hospital based studies. Moreover, the MTR D919G variant might be related to PRAD prognosis.

0802 To Examine the Effect of Gabapentin Enacarbil in Primary Restless Legs Syndrome Patients Who are on Dopaminergic Agents and Exhibiting Augmentation

Introduction

Augmentation is defined as worsening of the symptoms of Restless Legs Syndrome after a brief period of initial improvement with dopaminergic agents resulting in either an earlier onset, increase in severity, quicker onset, spread to other body parts. The exact prevalence of this phenomenon is not known and in patients experiencing augmentation, it can pose a difficult diagnostic and therapeutic challenge to the clinician. In our study, we found extended-release gabapentin to be an effective intervention in patients experiencing dopaminergic augmentation

Methods

This is an open-label single-arm study done in patients exhibiting augmentation while on dopaminergic agents. Patients who were enrolled in the study were initiated on oral extended-release gabapentin(Horizont) 600 mg at 5 pm at the beginning of the study. At day 90, attempts were made to reduce or discontinue dopaminergic agents. International Restless Legs Syndrome-Rating Scale (IRLS) and Augmentation Severity Rating Scale(ASRS) were recorded at each visit.

Results

A total of 10 patients were enrolled in the study while only 8 patients completed it. Compared to the baseline (visit 2), there is a significant improvement in both the augmentation severity(p= 0.0131) and the IRLS (p=0.0497). Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed rank test was used for statistical analysis.

Conclusion

Extended-release Gabapentin is an effective treatment option in primary RLS patients experiencing augmentation secondary to dopaminergic medication usage.

Support

The study is funded and medication is provided by Arbor Pharmaceuticals.

Implementing Mycoplasma genitalium testing across a London-based sexual health service: A quality improvement project

Recent national guidelines recommended testing for Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) in clinically-indicated conditions (CIC) including non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU), pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and epididymo-orchitis. Over five months in 2018 a quality improvement project (QIP) was carried out across three London sexual health clinics with the aim of increasing MG testing rates in CICs. Three Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles were completed: improving IT access, an education event and reminder emails for clinicians who did not test in CIC. To measure testing rates ten patients from each CIC were randomly selected each week and MG testing outcomes were collected. As a balancing measure, we identified the rate of inappropriate MG testing. MG testing rates in patients with NGU increased to 90% following QIP initiation (baseline rate 60%) and this increase was sustained. No increase in MG testing was seen in PID and epididymo-orchitis. Inappropriate MG test rates were high (median of 11%) but remained constant throughout the QIP period. As MG testing is expanding across the UK, we outline a QIP integrating MG testing into a busy multi-site, sexual health service improving testing uptake while not increasing inappropriate testing.

Reconstruction and analysis of the aberrant lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA network in systemic lupus erythematosus

OBJECTIVE

A new perspective of determining the pathophysiology of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) development is required. The current study explores the aberrant expression of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA), microRNA (miRNA) and mRNA. The study further constructs and analyses the lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA network to elucidate their gene regulation roles in SLE.

METHOD

We extracted mRNA, lncRNA and miRNA from the whole venous blood of 20 SLE patients and 20 normal control (NC) healthy individuals. A lncRNA-mRNA-miRNA network in SLE was constructed using a bioinformatics approach. Subsequently, Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analyses were performed using the Cytoscape plug-in BinGo, the DAVID database and Cytoscape software to explore the function of mRNAs in this network.

RESULT

A total of 855 mRNA, 7311 lncRNA and 134 miRNA with differentially expressed profiles were identified. Meanwhile, we established a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) subnetwork composed of 52 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs), seven differentially expressed miRNAs and 10 differentially expressed mRNAs. We extracted the subnetwork from the ceRNA network and found that three novel miRNAs were key: hsa-miR-145, hsa-miR-17 and hsa-miR-143. We also deduced that the DElncRNAs MIAT and NEAT1 might play crucial roles in the pathogenesis of SLE. The results were verified by bioinformatics analysis.

CONCLUSION

Our results provide a novel perspective for studying lncRNA-related and miRNA-related ceRNA networks in SLE.

Efficient synthesis of d-phenyllactic acid by a whole-cell biocatalyst co-expressing glucose dehydrogenase and a novel d-lactate dehydrogenase from Lactobacillus rossiae

d-Phenyllactic acid is a versatile natural organic acid, which is used as an antiseptic agent, monomer of the biodegradable material poly-phenyllactic acid and in the synthesis chiral intermediate of pharmaceuticals. In this report, the novel NADH-dependent d-lactate dehydrogenase LrLDH was identified by screening a shotgun genome of Lactobacillus rossiae. To improve cofactor regeneration, the Exiguobacterium sibiricum glucose dehydrogenase EsGDH was overexpressed together with LrLDH in E. coli BL21(DE3)-pCDFDuet-1-gdh-ldh. The total enzyme activity in the fermentation broth of E. coli BL 21(DE3)-pCDFDuet-1-gdh-ldh peaked at 2359.0 U l-1 when induced by 10 g l-1 lactose at 28 °C and 150 rpm for 14 h. The biocatalytic reduction of sodium phenylpyruvate to d-phenyllactic acid was successfully carried out using whole cells of the engineered E. coli. Under the optimized biocatalysis conditions, 50 g l-1 sodium phenylpyruvate was completely converted to d-phenyllactic acid with a space-time yield and enantiomeric excess of 262.8 g l-1 day-1 and > 99.5%, respectively. To our best knowledge, it is the highest productivity reported to date, with great potential for the mass production of d-phenyllactic acid.

Remote ischemic postconditioning alleviates myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury by up-regulating ALDH2

OBJECTIVE

The myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is a significant challenge, and the clinical significance of remote ischemic postconditioning (RIPostC) in cardioprotection has been confirmed. However, the molecular mechanism remains unclear. We aimed to explore the regulatory mechanism of RIPostC in myocardial I/R.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A mouse model of myocardial I/R injury and cell model of oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD)/re-oxygenation (OGD/R) injury were constructed. Infarct size was measured by Evans blue dye staining and TTC staining. mRNA and protein expression levels of aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) were determined by RT-qPCR and Western blot analysis, respectively. Cell viability, p53 expression, apoptotic cells, expression of proteins related to apoptosis, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation were evaluated by CCK-8 assay, Western blot analysis, flow cytometry assay, Western blot analysis, and DCFH-DA staining, respectively. ALDH2 in H9c2 cells was knocked down, and its effects on cells treated with OGD/R and RIPostC were tested. How RIPostC affected ALDH2 expression was finally studied.

RESULTS

RIPostC reduced infarct size in mice and attenuated OGD/R-induced H9c2 cell injury. Myocardial I/R-induced down-regulation of ALDH2 was abrogated by RIPostC. Moreover, the effects of RIPostC on OGD/R-treated H9c2 cells were significantly reversed by ALDH2 silence. Finally, we found RIPostC-induced up-regulation of ALDH2 in OGD/R-treated cells could be bated by activation of PI3K and/or mTOR.

CONCLUSIONS

RIPostC exerted cardioprotective role against myocardial I/R both in vivo and in vitro. Up-regulation of ALDH2 might be a reason for the cardioprotection, and RIPostC might regulate ALDH2 expression via the PI3K/mTOR pathway.

[Discussion on pT3 staging in TNM staging of AJCC 8(th) edition gallbladder carcinoma]

Objective: To discuss the rationality of stage pT3 in the AJCC 8(th) TNM criteria of gallbladder carcinoma. Methods: A retrospective study was performed to analyze the clinical and pathological data of 88 patients with pT3 gallbladder carcinoma admitted to Department of Second Biliary Surgery of Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, affiliated to Naval Medical University from May 2013 to September 2018.pT3 stage tumors were divided into two groups: (1) pT3a stage: tumors had penetrated serosa but not directly invaded liver and/or an adjacent organ or structure; (2) pT3b stage: tumor penetrating serosa and directly invaded liver and/or an adjacent organ or structure. There were 45 patients with pT3a stage, including 15 males and 30 females, aged 36 to 80 years, with a median age of 59 years; 43 patients with pT3b, including 24 males and 19 females, aged 41 to 78 years old, median aged 63 years old.Patients with pT3a and pT3b were further divided into two groups respectively: radical resection group and extended radical resection group according to surgical radicalization. Independent sample t-test was used for comparison between two groups with normal distribution measurement data. Wilcoxon rank sum test was used between groups of non-normally distributed measurement data.The comparison of the count data was performed by χ(2) test or Fisher exact probability method. Survival analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier method, and survival rate was compared using Log-rank test. Results: (1)Serum total bilirubin(15.6(90.3)mmol/L), albumin(40.2(4.8)mmol/L), and CA19-9(132.90(455.78)U/ml) levels in pT3b patients were higher than that in pT3a patients(10.2(6.8)mmol/L, 41.8(4.9)mmol/L, 14.35(36.27)U/ml), respectively(Z=-3.816, -1.966, -3.739, all P<0.05),postoperative complication rate in pT3b patients(24.4%) was higher than that in pT3a patients(8.9%)(P<0.05),postoperative hospital stay(12(7)days) and overall hospital stay((26±17)days) of pT3b patients were longer than that of pT3a patients((10±5) days and (19±7)days) (P<0.05). (2) The 1-, 3-, 5-year survival rates of pT3b and pT3a patients were 53%,22%,22% and 69%, 46%,38%,and the median survival time was 13 months and 26 months, respectively. The difference in survival rates between the two groups was statistically significant(χ(2)=5.117, P=0.024). (3)The 1-, 3-year survival rates of extended radical resection group(n=19) and radical resection group(n=24) in the pT3b stage were 73%, 36% and 28%, 7%, respectively.The survival time was 20 months and 9 months,respectively,and the difference in survival rates between the two groups was statistically significant(χ(2)=4.976, P=0.026). Conclusions: pT3 gallbladder carcinoma could be further subdivided into pT3a stage and pT3b stage based on the TNM criteria of AJCC 8(th) gallbladder carcinoma. Extended radical resection for pT3b gallbladder carcinoma should be further considered after comprehensive assessment of the patient's basic condition and surgical tolerance.

Analyses of the Complete Genome Sequence of the Strain Bacillus pumilus ZB201701 Isolated from Rhizosphere Soil of Maize under Drought and Salt Stress

Bacillus pumilus ZB201701 is a rhizobacterium with the potential to promote plant growth and tolerance to drought and salinity stress. We herein present the complete genome sequence of the Gram-positive bacterium B. pumilus ZB201701, which consists of a linear chromosome with 3,640,542 base pairs, 3,608 protein-coding sequences, 24 ribosomal RNAs, and 80 transfer RNAs. Genome analyses using bioinformatics revealed some of the putative gene clusters involved in defense mechanisms. In addition, activity analyses of the strain under salt and simulated drought stress suggested its potential tolerance to abiotic stress. Plant growth-promoting bacteria-based experiments indicated that the strain promotes the salt tolerance of maize. The complete genome of B. pumilus ZB201701 provides valuable insights into rhizobacteria-mediated salt and drought tolerance and rhizobacteria-based solutions for abiotic stress in agriculture.

[Effects of metformin on the expression of estrogen synthetase and ER mRNA in uterine leiomyoma tissues]

Objective: To elucidate whether metformin could regulate the mRNA expression level of estrogen synthetase and ER in human uterine leiomyoma tissues. Methods: (1) Seventeen pairs of uterine leiomyoma tissues and adjacent myometrium (>2 cm) were collected from patients underwent hysterectomy in Peking University First Hospital between December 2016 and January 2017. Real-time PCR was used to measure the mRNA expression level of estrogen synthetase [including cytochrome P450 cholesterol side chain cleavage enzyme (P450scc), cytochrome P450 17α-hydroxylase (P450c17), 3-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (3β-HSD-2), 17-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (17β-HSD-1) and aromatase cytochrome P450 (P450arom)] and ER (including ERα and ERβ) in the uterine leiomyoma tissues and adjacent myometrium. (2) Uterine leiomyoma cells derived from uterine leiomyoma tissues were identified by immunocytochemistry method and cultured to the third generation. The treatment groups were cultured with different concentrations of metformin (10, 50 and 100 μmol/L) for 48 hours, and the control group was cultured with deionized water for 48 hours. The mRNA expression level of estrogen synthetase and estrogen receptor subtypes were measured by real-time PCR. Results: (1) P450scc, P450c17, 3β-HSD-2, 17β-HSD-1, P450arom mRNA median expression levels were 112, 4, 13, 42 and 194 in the uterine leiomyoma tissues, and were respectively 114, 5, 11, 32 and 6 in the myometrium. Compared to those of the myometrium, 3β-HSD-2 and P450arom mRNA expression levels in the uterine leiomyoma tissue were significantly higher (P<0.05), while there were no significant change of mRNA expression levels among P450scc, P450c17 and 17β-HSD-1 (P>0.05). ERα and ERβ mRNA median expression levels were 208 and 116 in the uterine leiomyoma tissues, and were 24 and 95 in the myometrium. Compared to that of the myometrium, ERα mRNA level in the uterine leiomyoma tissue was significantly higher (P=0.001), while there were no significant change of ERβ mRNA level (P=0.193). (2) After cultured with different concentrations of metformin (10, 50 and 100 μmol/L), the P450arom mRNA levels in the uterine leiomyoma tissues were 9±4, 8±5 and 8±3 respectively in the treatment groups and was 16±5 in the control group. Compared to that of the control group, P450arom mRNA expression levels in the treatment groups were significantly declined (P<0.05). There were no significant different change of mRNA expression levels among 3β-HSD-2, ERα and ERβ between the treatment groups and the control group (P>0.05). Conclusions: Metformin could down-regulate the mRNA expression level of aromatase in the uterine leiomyoma cells. These results indicate that metformin may inhibit the local estrogen synthesis and therefore suppress the development of uterine leiomyoma.

Evaluation of Diffusional Kurtosis Imaging in Sub-acute Ischemic Stroke: Comparison with Rehabilitation Treatment Effect

Stroke is a serious worldwide medical condition that causes neurological function disability. Diffusional kurtosis imaging, which measures the non-Gaussianity of water diffusion, has been demonstrated to be a sensitive biomarker in many neuro-pathologies. This study explores the relationship between neural function recovery and transformation of the ischemic lesion and/or corticospinal tract during the sub-acute phase after stroke by using diffusional kurtosis imaging. We performed a prospective study of function recovery and K metrics of 43 patients with sub-acute ischemic stroke in the middle cerebral artery territory. The effect of rehabilitation treatment was evaluated using both the Fugl-Meyer motor function score and modified Barthel index score at post-treatment compared with admission, and patients were allocated to two groups: good and poor rehabilitation effect (GRE and PRE). Metrics of diffusional kurtosis imaging within ischemic lesion and along the corticospinal tract were acquired, respectively. All three relative axial diffusional kurtoses (rKas) along the corticospinal tract in the GRE group ( n = 21) were significantly larger than those of the PRE group ( n = 22), including rKa in the posterior limb of internal capsule, rKa in the cerebral peduncle, and rKa in the basal part of the pons ( p = 0.014, 0.005, and 0.021, respectively). This multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging study showed that diffusional kurtosis imaging has the potential to complement existing stroke imaging techniques and revealed its own advantages in elucidating the possible biophysical mechanism of functional restoration underlying ischemic stroke.

Transfer-printed micro-LED and polymer-based transceiver for visible light communications

Visible light communications (VLC) is an emerging technology that uses LEDs, such as found in lighting fixtures and displays, to transmit data wirelessly. Research has so far focused on LED transmitters and on photoreceivers as separate, discrete components. Combining both types of devices into a single transceiver format will enable bi-directional VLC and offer flexibility for the development of future advanced VLC systems. Here, a proof of concept for an integrated optical transceiver is demonstrated by transfer printing a microsize LED, the transmitter, directly onto a fluorescent optical concentrator edge-coupled to a photodiode, the receiver. This integrated device can simultaneously receive (downlink) and transmit (uplink) data at rates of 416 Mbps and 165 Mbps, respectively. Its capability to operate in optical relay mode at 337 Mbps is experimentally demonstrated.

Distribution of Four Bioactive Flavonoids in Maize Tissues of Five Varieties and Correlation with Expression of the Biosynthetic Genes

Flavonoids are characteristic in maize and have diverse biological functions. C-Glycosylflavones are neuroprotective against β-amyloid-induced tau hyperphosphorylation and neurotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells, which is relevant to Alzheimer's disease prevention and treatment. The content of the flavonoids eriodictyol, luteolin, isoorientin, and maysin varied in pollens, silks, tassels, and seeds among five maize varieties. Eriodictyol content was high (51-322 ng/g dw) in pollens, while luteolin content was low (0.2-106 ng/g dw) in all four tissues. The isoorientin content was approximately 3- to 10-fold greater than eriodictyol in pollens and tassels, particularly in the hybrid M1 and sweet corn M5 varieties. Maysin content was high in most silks and tassels. The differential expression of five genes involved in the maysin biosynthesis correlated well with the profiles of the four flavonoids among tissues and varieties. The present study offers valuable data for maize breeding and the use of maize flavonoids as functional food components.

Orthonormalization method in ghost imaging

Ghost imaging system requires a large number of samples to reconstruct the object. Computational ghost imaging can use well-designed pre-modulated orthogonal patterns to reduce the requirement of sampling number and increase the imaging quality, while the rotating ground glass (RGG) scheme cannot. Instead of the pre-modulation method, a post-processing method using Gram-Schmidt process to orthonormalize the patterns in a RGG scheme is introduced. Reconstructed ghost image after the Gram-Schmidt process (SGI) are tested using the quality indicators such as the Contrast-to-Noise (CNR), the Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR), the Correlation Coefficient (CC) and reducing the Mean Square Error (MSE). Simulation results show that this method has obvious advantage on enhancing the efficiency of image acquisition, and the sampling number requirement drops from several thousands to a few hundreds in ideal condition. However, in actual system with noise, the image quality from SGI declines in large sampling number, for noise and errors accumulate in the orthonormalization process. So an improved Group SGI method is then developed to avoid this error accumulation, which behaves effectively in reconstructing the image from experimental data and show good performances in large sampling number too. Since this method do not change the relationship between the reference patterns and the bucket values, it can easily combine with most of reconstruction algorithms and improve their reconstruction efficiency.

Successful conservative treatment of cervical pregnancy with uterine artery embolization followed by curettage: a report of 19 cases

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of uterine artery embolization (UAE) followed by curettage for conservative management of cervical pregnancy.

DESIGN

Retrospective review.

SETTING

Peking University First Hospital.

SAMPLE

Patients with cervical pregnancy diagnosed by trans-vaginal ultrasound at Peking University First Hospital between January 2003 and December 2014.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the clinical background and outcomes of patients with cervical pregnancy who underwent UAE followed by curettage for prevention of massive vaginal bleeding and removal of gestational tissue from the cervix. We also reviewed the literature on the role of UAE in the treatment of cervical pregnancy.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Clinical assessments included gestational age, gravidity, endocervical canal mass, serum beta-human chorionic gonadotrophin (β-HCG) level, blood loss, hospitalisation stay and expenses, time of resumption of menstruation and subsequent pregnancy outcomes.

RESULTS

A total of 19 patients with cervical pregnancy treated with UAE followed by curettage were identified. Curettage was performed 24-72 hours after UAE in 16 patients, within 24 hours after UAE in three patients. None of the patients underwent a hysterectomy as a result of cervical pregnancy. Of the nine patients with available follow-up information (median follow-up time 59 months), eight resumed normal menstruation and one had a term pregnancy with a normal vaginal delivery. Quick regression of serum β-HCG level, low blood loss and short hospital stay were observed.

CONCLUSION

UAE combined with curettage is a safe, effective and fertility-sparing choice for treatment of patients with cervical pregnancy.

TWEETABLE ABSTRACT

A serial of 19 patients with cervical pregnancy treated with UAE followed by curettage showed a good prognosis.

The complete genome sequence of Bacillus halotolerans ZB201702 isolated from a drought- and salt-stressed rhizosphere soil

Bacillus halotolerans is a rhizobacterium with the potential to promote plant growth and tolerance to drought and salinity stress. Here, we present the complete genome sequence of B. halotolerans ZB201702, which consists of 4,150,000 bp in a linear chromosome, including 3074 protein-coding sequences, 30 rRNAs, and 85 tRNAs. Genome analysis revealed many putative gene clusters involved in defense mechanisms. Activity analysis of the strain under salt and simulated drought stress suggests tolerance to abiotic stresses. The complete genome information of B. halotolerans ZB201702 could provide valuable insights into rhizobacteria-mediated plant salt and drought tolerance and rhizobacteria-based solutions for abiotic stress agriculture.

Signal intensity influences on the atomic Faraday filter

Previous studies of the Faraday anomalous dispersion optical filter (FADOF) mainly focus on the weak signal light filtering, without regard for the influences of the signal light intensity on the filter itself. However, in some applications the signal light is strong enough to change the filter's performance. In this work, the influences of the signal light intensity on the transmittance spectrum is experimentally investigated in a 780 nm Rb85 FADOF in both the line-center and wings operation modes. The results show that the transmittance spectrum varies significantly with the signal light intensity. As the signal light increases, some existing transmittance peaks decline, some new transmittance peaks appear, and the maximum transmittance peak frequency may change. The spectrum in strong signal lights can be quite different from those calculated by programs in the condition of weak signal lights. These results are important for applications of the FADOF in the condition of strong signal lights.

An optimized fed-batch culture strategy integrated with a one-step fermentation improves L-lactic acid production by Rhizopus oryzae

In previous work, we proposed a novel modified one-step fermentation fed-batch strategy to efficiently generate L-lactic acid (L-LA) using Rhizopus oryzae. In this study, to further enhance efficiency of L-LA production through one-step fermentation in fed-batch cultures, we systematically investigated the initial peptone- and glucose-feeding approaches, including different initial peptone and glucose concentrations and maintained residual glucose levels. Based on the results of this study, culturing R. oryzae with initial peptone and glucose concentrations of 3.0 and 50.0 g/l, respectively, using a fed-batch strategy is an effective approach of producing L-LA through one-step fermentation. Changing the residual glucose had no obvious effect on the generation of L-LA. We determined the maximum LA production and productivity to be 162 g/l and 6.23 g/(l·h), respectively, during the acid production stage. Compared to our previous work, there was almost no change in L-LA production or yield; however, the productivity of L-LA increased by 14.3%.

[The causative diseases, common comorbidities and surgical procedures of 948 cases of horizontal sensory strabismus]

Objective: To investigate the common causes, onset age of vision impairment and complications of sensory strabismus, and to explore the effective surgical methods for sensory strabismus and associated complications. Methods: In this retrospective study, there were 948 cases of surgical treatment for sensory strabismus from 2005 to 2015 in Tianjin Eye Hospital, including 822 cases of sensory exotropia and 126 cases of sensory esotropia. Causative disease, onset age of vision impairment, eye movement, horizontal and vertical deviation and surgical methods were evaluated. Statistical methods included independent samples t test, Mann-Whitney U test and chi-squared test. Results: Congenital or traumatic cataract was the most common cause of sensory strabismus. Anisometropia, optic atrophy, corneal opacity and retinal detachment were also primary reasons. The mean onset age of vision impairment was (2.3±4.2) years in the sensory esotropia group and (8.8±9.0) years in the exotropia group, and a positive correlation was found between the two groups (t=-8.00, P<0.01). Sensory strabismus occurred with A- or V-pattern in 100 cases (10.5%), nystagmus in 42 cases (5.1%), DVD in 57 cases (6%) and oblique overaction in 134 cases (14.1%;including 54 cases with A- or V-pattern). No statistically significant difference existed between the relevance ratio of A- or V-pattern, oblique overaction and the type of strabismus (χ(2)=0.13, 0.04; P>0.05), but significance difference existed between the relevance ratio of nystagmus, DVD and the type of strabismus (χ(2)=48.33, 12.04; P<0.01). Conclusions: The leading cause of sensory strabismus was cataract. The onset age of vision impairment was earlier in the sensory esotropia group than the exotropia group. Patients were more likely to suffer from DVD and nystagmus in the sensory esotropia group than the exotropia group. Surgeons should make a comprehensive assessment before surgery to design a rational surgical procedure. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2018, 54: 283-287).