Integrated reconfigurable photonic filters based on interferometric fractional Hilbert transforms

In this paper, we present integrated reconfigurable photonic filters using fractional Hilbert transformers (FrHTs) and optical phase tuning structure within the silica-on-silicon platform. The proposed structure, including grating-based FrHTs, an X-coupler, and a pair of thermal tuning filaments, is fabricated through the direct UV grating writing technique. The thermal tuning effect is realized by the controllable microheaters located on the two arms of the X-coupler. We investigate the 200 GHz maximum bandwidth photonic FrHTs based on apodized planar Bragg gratings, and analyze the reflection spectrum responses. Through device integration and thermal modulation, the device could operate as photonic notch filters with 5 GHz linewidth and controllable single sideband suppression filters with measured 12 dB suppression ratio. A 50 GHz instantaneous frequency measuring system using this device is also schematically proposed and analyzed with potential 3 dB measurement improvement. The device could be configured with these multiple functions according to need. The reconfigurable structure has great potential in ultrafast all-optical signal processing fields.

Pulmonary hypertension associated with combined fibrosing mediastinitis and bronchial anthracofibrosis: A retrospective analysis in a single Chinese hospital

INTRODUCTION

Both fibrosing mediastinitis (FM) and bronchial anthracofibrosis (BAF) are unique diseases. The combined appearance of FM and BAF is extremely rare.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical features of patients with coexisting FM and BAF.

METHOD

Between January 2003 and December 2015, a total of eight patients were diagnosed at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital as having combined FM and BAF. The clinical presentations, radiographic features and bronchoscopic findings of the eight patients were reviewed.

RESULTS

The patients were five women and three men with a median age of 64 years (range 56-86 years). Symptoms included dyspnea (eight patients), cough (seven patients), chest pain (two patients), hemoptysis (two patients) and so on. Chest CT of all eight patients showed mediastinal soft-tissue lesions, with multiple narrowed or obliterated lobar or segmental bronchi and arteries. Bronchoscopy showed that all of the patients had multiple stenoses of lobar or segmental bronchi with anthracotic pigmentation on the mucosa. Echocardiography showed that all of the patients had elevated pulmonary arterial systolic pressure (median 81 mm Hg, range 51-107 mm Hg). Each of the eight patients had a history of exposure to, or infection with, tuberculosis, although there was no evidence of active disease. All of the eight patients had long-term exposure to indoor coal or biomass fuel smoke.

CONCLUSIONS

FM can coexist with BAF, characterized by prominent pulmonary hypertension. The possible etiological factors are tuberculosis and coal or biomass fuel exposure.

[Physical therapy for temporomandibular joint anterior disc displacement without reduction]

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) anterior disc displacement without reduction (ADDwoR) is a common type of temporomandibular joint disorders. Most patients experience limited mouth opening and joint pain at the same time. The standpoint of physical therapy is the function of the joint instead of the displaced disc. The treatment aims to make symptoms disappeared and joint function regained through 3M techniques, including modality, manual and movement. For ADDwoR patients with limited mouth opening within 2 month, manual therapy may reposition disc and the following splint and movement therapy can maintain disc-condyle relationship. Even so, restoring anatomical relationship is not the end of physical therapy. Enhanced health education and multidisciplinary cooperation are important for successful management of the ADDwoR patients.

[Recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 7 inhibits the proliferation and extracellular matrix secretion of fibroblast of urethral scars]

Objective: To study the effect and its mechanism of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 7 (rhBMP-7) on urethral keloid fibroblast. Methods: Urethral fibroblasts were extracted and cultured, and the fourth-generation fibroblasts were used for experiment. Urethral fibroblasts were treated with rhBMP-7. Proliferation rate was detected by CCK-8 method. RT-PCR was applied to test changes of mRNA in α smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and type Ⅰ collagen protein (COL-1) of each group. Western blot was used to measure α-SMA protein expression and the effect of rhBMP-7 on signaling pathway of urethral keloid fibroblasts. Results: With the increase of rhBMP-7 concentrations, the proliferation rate of urethral keloid fibroblast was generally decreased. Cells kept proliferating with time at the same concentration of rhBMP-7. mRNA level of COL-1 and α-SMA in rhBMP-7-treated (>20 ng/ml) urethral keloid fibroblasts was greatly reduced with statistical significance (P<0.05) and dose dependency. It was found rhBMP-7 inhibited the overexpression of p-smad2/3 and α-SMA mediated by transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β(1)) signaling pathway. Conclusion: rhBMP-7 could adjust TGF-β(1) signaling pathway to inhibit gene expression of COL-1 and a-SMA in urethral keloid fibroblast, which provided evidences for further animal experiments or clinical trials.

Anomalous systemic arterial supply of pulmonary sequestration in adult patients

OBJECTIVES:

This study described the characteristics of the systemic arterial supply of pulmonary sequestration (PS) in an attempt to better distinguish PS from other acquired lesions.

METHODS:

We identified 25 patients hospitalized at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital during January 2013 to December 2015 with the assistance of medical catalogers. Twenty-three patients with a definite diagnosis of “pulmonary sequestration” clinically or pathologically were included in the study. The medical records, imaging information, and pathological data were reviewed retrospectively. The general characteristics of the patients and the features of the anomalous arteries were summarized.

RESULTS:

Aberrant arterial supply of PS was found in all 23 (100%) cases. Among them, twenty patients received surgery, including 14 (70%) with aberrant arterial supply found before surgery, and the other 6 (30%) found during surgery. Nineteen (82.6%) patients had a single systematic arterial supply, with a median diameter of 8 mm. More than one arterial supplies were found in four (17.4%) cases. In 21 (91.3%) cases, the anomalous systemic artery originated from the descending thoracic aorta just adjacent to the sequestrated lung which it supplied, without the presence of accompanying bronchi. In twenty (87.0%) patients who received the surgical intervention, samples of 12 (85.7%) were proved to have elastic vessel walls, out of the 14 samples in which the anomalous systemic arteries were available for analysis.

CONCLUSIONS:

There are no certain pathology diagnostic criteria for the diagnosis of PS. The detecting of the aberrant systematic artery and distinguishing it from the bronchial arteries corresponded to certain lung abnormalities are the keys to the accurate diagnosis of pulmonary sequestration in adult patients. We propose that the characteristic features of the anomalous arteries include: Originating from aorta and its main branches, adjacent to the sequestrated area, directly running into the sequestrated mass without accompanying bronchus branch, being large in diameter, and having elastic vessel wall.

Current situation of asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS) in Chinese patients older than 40 years with airflow limitation: rationale and design for a multicenter, cross-sectional trial (study protocol)

BACKGROUND

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are the frequently occurring chronic airway diseases, and the overlapping syndrome observed in the majority of patients has been recently defined as asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS) by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung (GOLD, 2014) and Global initiative for Asthma (GINA, 2015). The proportion, features, and clinical practice of ACOS still remain elusive in China. We are conducting this multicenter, cross-sectional, observational study (NCT02600221) to investigate the distributions of chronic obstructive diseases in patients >40 years of age with chronic airflow limitation in China along with determination of the main clinical practice and features of these diseases. The study will also explore the factors that may influence the exacerbations and severity of ACOS in Chinese patients (>40 years of age).

METHODS

A total of 2,000 patients (age, ≥40 years; either sex) who are clinically diagnosed as having asthma, COPD/chronic bronchitis/emphysema, or ACOS for at least 12 months with airflow limitation [post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 second/forced vital capacity (FEV₁/FVC): <0.7] will be enrolled from approximately 20 sites in China between December 2015 and December 2016. The proportion of ACOS among patients older than 40 years based on GINA 2015 and GOLD 2014 definitions is the primary variable. Following were the secondary variables: the proportions of COPD and asthma among the patients, distributions of the severity of airflow limitation, distribution of groups according to GOLD 2011 group definition (A, B, C, D), and the distribution of medication by drug class in patients with ACOS, asthma, and COPD. Acute exacerbation history, hospitalization, and severity of ACOS as evaluated using COPD Assessment Test, Asthma Control Questionnaire-5, and Modified British Medical Research Council in patients with ACOS were also assessed.

IMPLICATIONS

This will be the first study to disseminate scientific knowledge on the current situation, main clinical practice, and features of ACOS, asthma, and COPD conditions in Chinese patients. The insights will be helpful in designing optimal management strategies for ACOS and redefining the healthcare development programs.

SNP at miR-483-5p-binding site in the 3'-untranslated region of the BSG gene is associated with susceptibility to esophageal cancer in a Chinese population

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between a functional variant of the basigin (BSG) gene, caused by a polymorphism (rs11473) at the miR-483-5p binding site, and the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in the Chinese population. The rs11473 polymorphism was genotyped in 624 esophageal cancer patients and 636 cancer-free age- and gender-matched controls using polymerase chain reaction restriction and direct sequencing. The functional variants resulting from the BSG rs11473 SNP were investigated using a luciferase activity assay and validated by immunoblotting. We discovered that ESCC patients carrying the rs11473 AA genotype or A allele were at a significantly higher risk of esophageal cancer [odds ratio (OR) = 1.560, 95% confidence interval  (CI) = 1.031-2.358, P = 0.037; OR = 1.231, 95%CI = 1.038-1.459, P = 0.017, respectively] than those carrying the GG genotype and G allele. Moreover, the rs11473 polymorphism modifies the binding of miR-483- 5p to basigin, as well as the basigin protein levels in esophageal cancer patients. Our data suggested that the rs11473 polymorphism at the miR- 483-5p binding site in the 3'-UTR of basigin gene may play a key role in the development of esophageal cancer in a Chinese population.

[Clinical research of second resection on early stage primary bladder adenocarcinoma and literature review]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the clinical and pathological characteristics, as well as the diagnosis and treatment of primary bladder adenocarcinoma in the early stage.

METHODS

The clinical features, pathological results, diagnosis and treatment profiles of 7 cases of primary bladder adenocarcinoma admitted in Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University from January 2010 to July 2015 were analyzed ret rospectively.

RESULTS

All seven cases were diagnosed pathologically as primary bladder adenocarinoma.Histological staging T1 was revealed in six cases, while T2 in one case after the first resection.After four weeks, all patients received the second resection while one patient underwent immediately radical cystectomy. Multimodality therapy such as radiotherapy or chemotherapy was performed for longer postoperative survival.only one man died while another patient had been healthy for 6 years till January 2016.

CONCLUSION

Primary bladder adenocarcinoma is a highly malignant disease in bladder cancer.According to the results of the second resection, multimodality therapy for patients in early stage with no lymph node or other organs metastasis can improve the quality of life without affectiong their lives.

Translation and validation of a Chinese version of the Mandibular Function Impairment Questionnaire

To adapt the English version of the Mandibular Function Impairment Questionnaire (MFIQ) for Chinese-speaking patients with temporomandibular disorder (TMD) and to evaluate its validity and reliability. In total, 352 patients diagnosed with TMD according to the research diagnostic criteria for TMD (RDC/TMD) Axis I were included in this study. The psychometric evaluation included reliability, which was evaluated by internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha coefficient), and test-retest reliability and validity, which were tested by content and construct validity. Because the content validity of item 11 (kissing) was low (0·12), this item was excluded in subsequent analyses. For exploratory factor analysis, three factors were extracted, accounting for 63·6% of the variance. All items had factor loadings above 0·4. Two models were tested by confirmatory factor analysis, and the two-factor model was adopted (χ(2) /df = 2·279, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0·086, comparative fit index (CFI) = 0·910). Internal reliability (coefficient alpha values of 0·925 and 0·720 for each factor) and test-retest reliability (ICCfactor1 = 0·895, 95% CIfactor1 = 0·869-0·918, ICCfactor2 = 0·720, 95% CIfactor2 = 0·645-0·783) of the Chinese MFIQ were excellent. A reliable and valid Chinese version of the MFIQ was constructed for the evaluation of Chinese patients with TMD after some modification of the English version of the MFIQ.