Wavelength modulation technique-based photoacoustic spectroscopy for multipoint gas sensing

A multipoint gas sensing scheme based on photoacoustic spectroscopy was proposed. Multiple photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) gas cells (resonant frequency f₀=5.0  kHz) were connected in series for the multipoint gas sensing with wavelength modulation technique. The PAS signal was excited by modulating the tunable distributed feedback laser diode wavelength at f₀/2 using a changing driving current. The gas concentration of each gas cell was obtained by the PAS signal, which was demodulated by the lock-in amplifier. A multipoint PAS experiment to detect the water vapor at 1368.597 nm was implemented to verify the scheme we presented. With the three PAS gas cells, the linear response to the water vapor concentration of our sensors achieved 0.9978, 0.99591, and 0.99617, and their minimum detection limits were 479, 662, and 630 ppb, respectively.

[Heart rate control in chronic heart failure patients received cardiovascular implantable electronic device therapy: effects of optimized medication]

Objective: To investigate the heart rate control situation of chronic heart failure (CHF) patients who received cardiovascular implantable electronic device (CIED) therapy, and to assess the heart rate control efficacy by optimized medication adjustment. Methods: We performed a perspective study in heart failure with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (HFrEF) patients who received CIED according to guideline recommendations, patients were enrolled from January 2012 to January 2017. Resting heart rate (RHR) recorded by electrocardiogram after 10 minutes' rest and medication usage within 1 month were recorded at baseline. RHR less than 70 beats per minute (bpm) was regarded as well controlled. β-receptor blockers and (or) ivabradine would be added in patients whose RHR were over 70 bpm. RHR after optimized medication adjustment was recorded during follow-up period. Results: One hundred and fifty patients were included in this study with average RHR (80.6±11.9) bpm. RHR was<70 bpm in 27.3% (41/150) patients at baseline and β-receptor blockers was underused in 80.7% patients (88/109) whose RHR was>70 bpm. The overall RHR decreased to (73.1±10.4) bpm and percent of patients with RHR<70 bpm increased to 70.0% (105/150) after up-titration of β-receptor blockers compared to baseline (χ²=52.958, P<0.001). Ivabradine was added in the rest 45 patients and RHR was<70 bpm in 43 out of 45 patients after ivabradine use. The overall RHR decreased to (67.1±2.7) bpm and percent of RHR<70 bpm significantly increased to 98.7% (148/150) (χ²=44.504, P<0.001 vs. up-titration of β-receptor blockers only). Conclusion: RHR in CHF patients who received CIED therapy is not ideally controlled in this patient cohort, individual up-titration ofβ-receptor blockers and ivabradine use may help to optimize RHR in these patients.

A compressed multiple feature and adaptive scale estimation method for correlation filter-based visual tracking

The core part of the popular tracking-by-detection trackers is the discriminative classifier, which distinguishes the tracked target from the surrounding environment. Correlation filter-based visual tracking methods have the advantage of computing efficiency over the traditional methods by exploiting the properties of circulant matrix in learning process, and the significant progress in efficiency has been achieved by making use of the fast Fourier transform at detection and learning stages. But most existing correlation filter-based approaches are mainly restricted to translation estimation, which are susceptible to drifting in long-term tracking. In this article, a compressed multiple feature and adaptive scale estimation method is presented, which uses multiple features, including histogram of orientation gradients, color-naming, and raw pixel value to further improve the stability and accuracy of translation estimation. And for the scale estimation, another correlation filter is trained, which uses the compressed histogram of orientation gradients and raw pixel value to construct a multiscale pyramid of the target, and the optimal scale is obtained by exhaustively searching. The translation and scale estimation are unified with an iterative searching strategy. Extensively experimental results on the benchmark data set of scale variation show that the performance of the proposed compressed multiple feature and adaptive scale estimation algorithm is competitive against state-of-the-art methods with scale estimation capabilities in terms of robustness and accuracy.

Bicyclo[2.2.1]heptane containing N,N′-diarylsquaramide CXCR2 selective antagonists as anti-cancer metastasis agents

Novel bicyclo[2.2.1]heptane containing N,N′-diarylsquaramide CXCR2 selective antagonists were identified as potent anti-cancer metastatic agents.

[Clinical research of features of magnetic resonance imaging of high-voltage electrical burns in limbs at early stage]

Objective: To analyze the features of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of patients with high-voltage electrical burns in limbs at early stage. Methods: Thirty-eight patients with high-voltage electrical burns, conforming to the study criteria, were hospitalized in our unit from March 2013 to August 2016. T(1) weighted imaging (T(1)WI), T(2)WI, fat-suppression T(2)WI plain scan, and fat-suppression T(1)WI enhanced scan of MRI were performed in 78 limbs, including 56 upper limbs and 22 lower limbs at post injury hour 72. The MRI signal characteristics of electrical burns in skin and subcutaneous tissue, skeletal muscle, tendon, joint ligament, and skeleton of limbs were analyzed. " Sandwich-like" necrosis and injury in skeletal muscle, injuries of tendon, joint ligament, and skeleton were observed. MRI signal characteristics of amputated upper limbs and salvaged limbs were also analyzed. All patients underwent surgery within 24 h after MRI examination, and the muscle vitality was judged during operation. Muscle tissue without reaction to electrical stimulation which was completely necrotic as shown by MRI, muscle tissue with weak reaction to electrical stimulation which was injured with blood supply as shown by MRI, and muscle tissue with edema as shown by MRI were collected, and then the pathological characteristics of muscle tissue were observed with HE staining. Results: (1) The defect area of patients at entrance of current was bigger than that at exit. The skin and subcutaneous tissue extensively unevenly thickened. T(2)WI manifested hyperintensity, and T(1)WI manifested isointensity, while fat-suppression enhanced T(1)WI manifested uneven enhancement. Zonal effusion was seen in the region of serious subcutaneous edema. (2) For complete necrosis of skeletal muscle, T(2)WI manifested hypointense, isointensity, or slight hyperintensity, and T(1)WI manifested isointensity, slight hyperintensity, or mixed signal of isointensity and slight hyperintensity, while fat-suppression enhanced T(1)WI manifested most no enhancement area with clear boundary. The MRI signals of injured skeletal muscle could be divided into two types. Type Ⅰ signal was for partial necrotic muscle adjacent to the completely necrotic zone. T(2)WI manifested uneven hyperintensity or slight hyperintensity, with unclear boundary. T(1)WI manifested isointensity or slight hyperintensity. Fat-suppression enhanced T(1)WI manifested significant banding or laciness enhancement. Type Ⅱ signal was for deep muscle tissue far from the complete necrotic zone. T(2)WI manifested hyperintensity, and T(1)WI manifested isointensity or main isointensity mixed with hyperintensity, while fat-suppression enhanced T(1)WI manifested uneven moderate or slight enhancement. Normal muscle signal, type Ⅰ signal, and type Ⅱ signal were all mixed with necrotic signal, showing " sandwich-like" change. For skeletal muscle edema, T(2)WI manifested slight hyperintensity and unclear boundary, and T(1)WI manifested hypointense, while fat-suppression enhanced T(1)WI manifested no obvious enhancement. (3) For complete necrosis of tendon, T(2)WI manifested isointensity or slight hyperintensity, and T(1)WI manifested isointensity, while fat-suppression enhanced T(1)WI manifested no enhancement. For tendon injury, T(2)WI manifested isointensity, and T(1)WI manifested isointensity or hypointense, while fat-suppression enhanced T(1)WI manifested slight enhancement. (4) Severe injury of wrist joint were manifested as complete necrosis of soft tissue around joint. T(2)WI manifested slight hyperintensity or isointensity, and T(1)WI manifested isointensity, while fat-suppression enhanced T(1)WI manifested no enhancement or slightly uneven enhancement. For completely destroyed wrist joints, the structures were not clear from outside to inside. T(2)WI manifested slight hyperintensity or isointensity, and T(1)WI manifested hypointense or isointensity, while fat-suppression enhanced T(1)WI manifested no enhancement. For elbow injury, T(2)WI manifested hyperintensity, and T(1)WI manifested isointensity or hypointense, while fat-suppression enhanced T(1)WI manifested uneven enhancement. For knee injury, T(2)WI manifested hyperintensity, and T(1)WI manifested hypointense, while fat-suppression enhanced T(1)WI manifested slight enhancement. (5) For bone edema, T(2)WI manifested isointensity, while fat-suppression T(2)WI manifested slight hyperintensity. T(1)WI manifested isointensity, and fat-suppression enhanced T(1)WI manifested patchy enhancement. (6) MRI of amputated upper limbs showed necrosis signals, type Ⅰ signals, type Ⅱ signals, and mixed signals of type Ⅰ and type Ⅱ in skeletal muscle. The necrosis signal and type Ⅰ signal area of the distal end were more than 50% greater than those of the lesion. The scope of the ecological tissue was large and the boundary was not clear. There were diffuse injuries in both anterior and posterior muscles, and the ulnar and radial artery pulsation disappeared in the upper limbs. The MRI of salvaged limbs were type Ⅰ signal, type Ⅱ signal, mixed signals of type Ⅰ and type Ⅱ, and local necrosis signals of skeletal muscle. The type Ⅰ signal was the main type, and the distal end showed type Ⅱ signal. (7) For completely necrotic skeletal muscle as shown by MRI, surgical exploration showed loss of muscle viability, and pathological examination showed complete necrosis of striated muscle tissue. For injury area of skeletal muscle as shown by MRI, surgical exploration showed interecological muscle with activity worse than mormal muscle, and pathological examination showed normal muscle cells and muscle fiber mixed with necrotic striated muscle cells having karyopyknosis, with different degree of injury. For edema area of skeletal muscle as shown by MRI, surgical exploration showed swelling skeletal muscle and normal muscle vitality, and pathological examination showed striated muscle interstitial edema with a large number of inflammatory cells infiltration. The manifestions of MRI were consistent with the results of surgical exploration and pathological examination. Conclusions: Skeletal muscle complete necrosis, injury, and edema could be preferably differentiated by MRI, and the definite scope and depth of electrical injury, the injury of skin, tendon, joint ligament, and bone could also be displayed well on MRI. It can provide objective imaging basis for the diagnosis of high-voltage electrical burns in limbs at early stage, the establishment of clinical operation plan, and the judgment of intraoperative tissue vitality.

A comparison study of adaptive scale estimation in correlation filter-based visual tracking methods

Recently, discriminative correlation filter-based method becomes one of the popular directions in the field of visual tracking because of its computational efficiency and excellent performance, which make it especially suitable for real-time application. Most of them are focused only on the transition estimation. However, accurate scale estimation of the target plays a very important role in long-term tracking task and is still a challenging problem. The principle of CF-based visual tracking is introduced first. The approaches of adaptive scale estimation in correlation filter-based visual tracking methods are summarized in this paper, and their performances are analyzed by experiment comparison. The works here can provide a better understanding on the scale estimation problem for correlation filter-based visual tracking. Furthermore, maybe with the same strategy, other factors in visual tracking, such as appearance variation, can be integrated into the framework to improve the performance of correlation filter-based method.

MAPK pathway regulated the cardiomyocyte apoptosis in mice with post-infarction heart failure

BACKGROUND

To explore the role of the MAPK signaling pathway in the cardiomyocyte apoptosis of mice with post-infarction heart failure (HF).

METHODS

Mice were divided into sham and myocardial infarction (MI) groups. Before surgery, the MI group was divided into SB203580 and PBS subgroups. A post-infarction HF model was established by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery. Ventricular dilatation and cardiac function were observed by small animal echocardiography. The growth of primary cardiomyocytes was observed under an inverted phase contrast microscope. The mRNA and protein expressions of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) markers, GRP78 and CHOP, were detected by qRT-PCR and immunofluorescence assay, respectively.

RESULTS

The MI group had enlarged left ventricle and decreased cardiac function. GRP78 and CHOP protein expressions in myocardial tissues, especially those of SB203580 subgroup, significantly increased (p < 0.05). The expressions of p-JNK and cleaved caspase 12 proteins, especially those of SB203580 subgroup, were significantly up-regulated. Cardiomyocytes of MI group were significantly more prone to apoptosis (p < 0.05), with SB203580 subgroup being more obvious.

CONCLUSION

MI was accompanied by ERS, probably involving the MAPK signaling pathway. SB203580, a specific inhibitor of this pathway, can relieve cardiomyocyte apoptosis and protect the myocardium by suppressing such stress (Tab. 3, Fig. 7, Ref. 20).

Growth performance, rumen fermentation, bacteria composition, and gene expressions involved in intracellular pH regulation of rumen epithelium in finishing Hu lambs differing in residual feed intake phenotype

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of residual feed intake (RFI) on rumen function in finishing lambs. A total of 60 male Hu lambs (average initial BW = 25.2 ± 2.5kg) were used and were offered a pelleted high-concentrate diet, of which the forage to concentrate ratio was 25:75. Individual feed intake was recorded over a period of 42 d, then 10 lambs with the lowest RFI and the highest RFI were selected, respectively. The rumen fluid used for fermentation variables and relative abundance of bacteria measurement was obtained on d 10 and 20 after RFI measurement. At the end of this experiment, the selected lambs were slaughtered and rumen epithelium and liver tissues were collected for RNA extraction. Low-RFI lambs had lower ( < 0.01) DMI and greater ( < 0.05) G:F than the high-RFI ones, while the RFI groups did not differ in ADG and BW ( > 0.05). Additionally, RFI was positively ( = 0.57; < 0.01) correlated with DMI and negatively ( = -0.53; < 0.05) correlated with G:F. Total VFA and individual VFA decreased ( < 0.05) over time. The concentrations of total VFA, acetate, valerate, isobutyrate, isovalerate, and rumen pH ( > 0.05) were not affected by RFI classification. Nonetheless, low-RFI group lambs had a greater ( < 0.05) concentration of propionate, a lower ( < 0.05) concentration of butyrate, and a lower ( < 0.05) acetate to propionate ratio compared with the high-RFI group. There was a significant ( < 0.05) effect of RFI on the relative abundance of and . The relative abundance of , , and decreased ( < 0.05) over time in high-RFI group. And the relative abundance of in high-RFI group was greater ( < 0.05) than its low-RFI counterpart. Furthermore, RFI had no effect ( > 0.05) on gene expression associated with intracellular pH regulation (, , , , , , , and ) in rumen epithelium and β-hydroxybutyrate metabolism () in both rumen epithelium and liver tissues. In conclusion, even though low-RFI lambs had lower DMI, however, the number of was lower. Additionally, there was no difference in gene expressions level associated with intracellular pH regulation in rumen epithelium between RFI groups.

Amidoalkylindoles as Potent and Selective Cannabinoid Type 2 Receptor Agonists with in Vivo Efficacy in a Mouse Model of Multiple Sclerosis

Selective CB₂ agonists represent an attractive therapeutic strategy for the treatment of a variety of diseases without psychiatric side effects mediated by the CB₁ receptor. We carried out a rational optimization of a black market designer drug SDB-001 that led to the identification of potent and selective CB₂ agonists. A 7-methoxy or 7-methylthio substitution at the 3-amidoalkylindoles resulted in potent CB₂ antagonists (27 or 28, IC₅₀ = 16-28 nM). Replacement of the amidoalkyls from 3-position to the 2-position of the indole ring dramatically increased the agonist selectivity on the CB₂ over CB₁ receptor. Particularly, compound 57 displayed a potent agonist activity on the CB₂ receptor (EC₅₀ = 114-142 nM) without observable agonist or antagonist activity on the CB₁ receptor. Furthermore, 57 significantly alleviated the clinical symptoms and protected the murine central nervous system from immune damage in an experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mouse model of multiple sclerosis.

[Investigation of pregestational diabetes mellitus in 15 hospitals in Guangdong province]

Objective: To investigate the morbidity, diagnostic profile and perinatal outcome of pregestational diabetes mellitus (PGDM) in 15 hospitals in Guangdong province. Methods: A total of 41 338 women delivered in the 15 hospitals during the 6 months, 195 women with PGDM (PGDM group) and 195 women with normal glucose test result (control group) were recruited from these tertiary hospitals in Guangdong province from January 2016 to June 2016. The morbidity and diagnostic profile of PGDM were analyzed. The complications during pregnancy and perinatal outcomes were compared between the two groups. In the PGDM group, pregnancy outcomes were analyzed in women who used insulin treatment (n=91) and women who did not (n=104). Results: (1) The incidence of PGDM was 0.472%(195/41 338). Diabetes mellitus were diagnosed in 59 women (30.3%, 59/195) before pregnancy, and 136 women (69.7%,136/195) were diagnosed as PGDM after conceptions. Forty-six women (33.8%) were diagnosed by fasting glucose and glycohemoglobin (HbA1c) screening. (2) The maternal age, pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) , prenatal BMI, percentage of family history of diabetes, incidence of macrosomia, concentration of low density lipoprotein were significantly higher in PGDM group than those in control group (all P<0.05). Women in PGDM group had significantly higher HbA1c concentration ((6.3±1.3)% vs (5.2±0.4)%) , fasting glucose [(6.3±2.3) vs (4.8±1.1) mmol/L], oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) -1 h glucose ((12.6±2.9) vs (7.1±1.3) mmol/L) and OGTT-2 h glucose [(12.0±3.0) vs (6.4±1.0) mmol/L] than those in control group (P<0.01). (3) The morbidity of preterm births was significantly higher (11.3% vs 1.0%, P<0.01), and the gestational age at delivery in PGDM group was significantly smaller [(37.6±2.3) vs (39.2±1.2) weeks, P<0.01]. Cesarean delivery rate in the PGDM group (70.8% vs 29.7%) was significantly higher than the control group (P<0.01). There was significantly difference between PGDM group and control in the neonatal male/female ratio (98/97 vs 111/84, P=0.033). The neonatal birth weight in PGDM group was significantly higher ((3 159±700) vs (3 451±423) g, P<0.01) . And the incidence of neonatal hypoglycemia in the PGDM group was higher than the control group (7.7% vs 2.6%, P=0.036). (4) In the PGDM group, women who were treated with insulin had a smaller gestational age at delivery [(36.9±2.9) vs (37.9±2.5) weeks, P<0.01], and the neonates had a higher neonatal ICU (NICU) admission rate (24.2% vs 9.6%, P<0.01). Conclusions: The morbidity of PGDM in the 15 hospitals in Guangdong province is 0.472%. The majority of PGDM was diagnosed during pregnancy; HbA1c and fasting glucose are reliable parameters for PGDM screening. Women with PGDM have obvious family history of diabetes and repeated pregnancy may accelerate the process of diabetes mellitus. Women with PGDM have higher risk for preterm delivery and neonatal hypoglycemia. Unsatisfied glucose control followed by insulin treatment may increase the need for NICU admission.

[Analysis of optical coherence tomography of early and very late stent restenosis after drug-eluting stent implantation]

Objective: Using optical coherence tomography (OCT) to analyze the morphological characteristics of lesions between early in-stent restenosis (E-ISR) and very late in-stent restenosis (VL-ISR) after drug-eluting stents (DES) implantation. Methods: In 25 patients (DES) with ISR, OCT images were acquired before percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), the morphological characteristics of E-ISR (<1 years, n=14) and VL-ISR (>3 years, n=11) were compared.The quantitative and qualitative analysis of the entire stent and the minimum lumen area (MLA) site were carried out respectively. OCT quantitative restenotic tissue analysis included the assessment of mean lumen area, mean stent area, mean neointimal area and mean neointimal burden.OCT qualitative restenotic tissue analysis included the assessment of tissue structure [homogeneous or heterogeneous intima (lipid-rich neoitima, thin-cap fibroatheroma (TCFA)-like intima)], presence of microvessels, intraluminal material (red thrombus, pale thrombus), disrupted intima with cavity and tissue prolapse and was performed at every 1-mm slice of the entire stent. Results: Compared with the E-ISR group, the proportion of cross-sections with heterogeneous intima in the entire stent was significantly higher in the VL-ISR group (60.57% vs 32.93%, P=0.005), and both peristent and intraintimal microvessels were more frequently observed in the VL-ISR group (P<0.05). In addition, lipid-rich neointima (72.7% vs 21.4%, P=0.017), TCFA-like intima (54.5% vs 7.1%, P=0.021), disrupted intima with visible cavity (63.6% vs 7.1%, P=0.007) and red thrombus (63.6% vs 7.1%, P=0.007) were observed more frequently in the VL-ISR group compared with E-ISR group for the entire stent.The heterogeneous intima was observed more frequently in the VL-ISR group (90.9% vs 35.7%, P=0.012) at the MLA sites.Intraintimal microvessels and disrupted intima with visible cavity were observed only in the VL-ISR group. Conclusions: OCT imaging indicates that the morphological characteristics of restenosis lesions in VL-ISR are different from those in E-ISR.The atherosclerotic changes of neointima, such as lipid-rich neointima, disrupted intima with cavity and microvessels are more often observed in VL-ISR lesions after DES implantation compared with E-ISR.Progression of the atherosclerosis within neointima after DES implantation may be associated with VL-ISR.

Development of Quinazoline/Pyrimidine-2,4(1H,3H)-diones as Agonists of Cannabinoid Receptor Type 2

Starting from a prototypical structure 1, we describe our efforts to design and obtain novel quinazoline/pyrimidine-2,4(1H,3H)-diones with high CB2 agonist potency and selectivity as well as improved physicochemical characteristics, mainly hydrophilicity. The most potent and selective CB2 agonists, 8 and 36, in this series were also endowed with lower logP values than that of GW842166X and lead compound 1. These derivatives appear to be promising lead compounds for the development of future CB2 agonists.

Effect of total peony glucoside pretreatment on NF-κB and ICAM-1 expression in myocardial tissue of rat with myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury

Early recovery of myocardial perfusion is beneficial for myocardial ischemia. However, ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) may exacerbate myocardial injury. Research shows that total peony glucoside (TPG) can inhibit ischemic myocardial cell apoptosis. However, whether it can ameliorate I/R injury remains poorly understood. This study explored the effect of TPG pretreatment on I/R, through nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expressions in I/R-affected myocardium. Healthy 7-week-old male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly categorized into sham operation (A), modeling (B), and 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg TPG pretreatment groups (C, D, and E, respectively), with 20 rats in each group. I/R rat models were designed by ligating left anterior descending coronary artery for 30 min to induce ischemia and for 120 min to induce reperfusion. Serum interleukin 6 (IL-6) and interleukin 8 (IL-8) levels were measured using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. NF-κB and ICAM-1 mRNA and protein expressions were detected through RT-PCR and western blot analysis, respectively. Compared to group A, serum IL-6 and IL-8 levels of group B elevated significantly (P < 0.05), whereas NF-κB and ICAM-1 mRNA and protein expressions increased in the myocardium (P < 0.05). Serum IL-6 and IL-8 levels, and NF-κB and ICAM-1 mRNA and protein expressions, in myocardium of TPG groups reduced in a dose-dependent manner. Therefore, TPG pretreatment could alleviate myocardium reperfusion injury in I/R rat models by reducing NF-κB and ICAM-1 mRNA and protein expressions and cytokine secretions. This mechanism could be associated with the inhibition of NF-κB activation and downregulation of ICAM-1 expression.

Microstructure and Ultrastructure Alterations in the Pallium of Immature Mice Exposed to Cadmium

The aim of this study was to investigate microstructure and ultrastructure alterations in the pallium of immature mice exposed to cadmium. Forty immature mice were randomly divided into control, 1/100 LD₅₀ (1.87 mg/kg, low), 1/50 LD₅₀ (3.74 mg/kg, medium), and 1/25 LD₅₀ (7.48 mg/kg, high) dose groups. After oral cadmium exposure for 40 days, the pallium of mice was obtained for microstructure and ultrastructure studies. The results showed that both microstructure and ultrastructure alterations of the pallium were observed in all treated mice and the most obvious alterations were in the high dose group. Microstructural analysis showed seriously congested capillary in the pia mater of the pallium in the high cadmium group. Meanwhile, vacuolar degenerate or karyopyknosis presented in some neurocytes, capillary quantity, and the number of apoptotic cells increased, some neurocytes became hypertrophy, the pia mater separated from the cortex, and local hemorrhage and accompanied inflammatory cell infiltration were also observed. Ultrastructural analysis showed that rough endoplasmic reticulum was expanded, heterochromatin marginalized, perinuclear space distinctly broadened, swelling and vacuolization mitochondria appeared, synapse was swelling, presynaptic and postsynaptic membranes presented fusion, and most of mitochondrial cristae were ambiguous. The results indicated that cadmium exposure for 40 days induced dose-dependent microstructure and ultrastructure alterations in pallium of immature mice.

Lymph nodes metastasis of gastric cancer: Measurement with multidetector CT oblique multiplanar reformation-correlation with histopathologic results

The aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the ability of multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) oblique multiplanar reformation (MPR) for differentiating metastatic lymph nodes (LNs) in patients with gastric cancer.Seventy-nine patients with gastric cancer underwent preoperative computed tomography (CT). One-to-one correlation of LN was made between CT oblique multiplanar reformation and histopathologic slides. Long diameters, short diameters, and short-to-long axis ratios of LNs were evaluated to differentiate metastasis.Short diameters of nodes performed better for diagnosing metastasis than long diameters and short-to-long ratios. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of short diameter were 57.8%, 74.7%, 68.2%, and 0.713, respectively. With different thresholds of short diameters of nodes (No. 8 group >6 mm and other groups >4 mm), total sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy can reach 57.2%, 79.0%, and 70.3%, respectively.MDCT oblique MPR images have certain reference value to distinguish metastasis of LNs in gastric cancer. The diagnostic power for LN metastasis of gastric cancer can be improved by using different threshold for No. 8 group LNs and other groups.

[The application of radiofrequency ablation in the resection of lateral skull base tumor through an endoscopic endonasal approach]

Objective:To summarize our experience of resecting tumors in lateral skull base via a radiofrequency ablation-assisted endoscopic approach to investigate the safety and feasibility of the technique and to assess its treatment outcomes.Method:Twelve patients with lateral skull base tumor were operated through a radiofrequency ablationassisted endoscopic transnasal or transoral approach. In this study, the operative technique was described,and the degree of resection, complications and the clinical outcomes was analyzed.Result:Complete resection was achieved in all patients using this technique. No patient in the series experienced a new neurological deficit, cerebrospinal fluid leak or meningitis after surgery. One patient suffered from dissecting aneurysm on 4th day after operation. And the dissecting aneurysm were treated by vascular interventional therapy. No recurrence and death related skull base tumor in the follow-up period(28-30 months) were found. The volume of intraoperative blood loss was from 60 ml to 500 ml(medium 190 ml). The duration of operations was from 60 min to 180 min(medium 95 min).Conclusion:Our limited experience indicates that this technique is feasible and safe for the complete resection of some skull base tumors in selected cases.

[A multicenter prospective controlled study of catheter ablation for patients with persistent atrial fibrillation using domestic 3D cardiac electrophysiological mapping system]

OBJECTIVE

To verify the safety and efficacy of the domestic 3D cardiac electrophysiological mapping system for catheter ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation (AF).

METHODS

From December 2011 to April 2014, 255 patients (184 male) with persistent AF in 13 centers were enrolled in this multicenter prospective controlled study.The patients were allocated to catheter ablation group (experiment group) and antiarrhythmics drugs cardioversion group (control group) with the ratio 2∶1 according to the patients' intention. Left atria were constructed with 3D cardiac electrophysiology mapping system, magnetic sensored saline irrigated radiofrequency ablation catheter (FireMagic™ Cool 3D) and surface reference (Columbus™). Pulmonary vein isolation and left atrial roof line, mitral annulus isthmus line, three tricuspid annulus isthmus line, superior vena cava, the coronary sinus and complex atrial fragmented potentials were targeted if necessary under the guidance of the 3D mapping system. Antiarrhythmics drugs (except amiodarone) were applied to patients for 2 to 3 months after ablation. The patients were followed up for 9 months after 3 months blanking period. The patients in the control group underwent cardioversion with amiodarone and electrical cardioversion if needed. Patients in the control group were also followed up for 9 months.

RESULTS

Of the 255 patients, 167 cases were in the experiment group and 88 cases were in the control group. In per protocol set (PPS), 155 cases were in the experiment group, 79 cases in the control group. Catheter ablation was successful for all patients in the experiment group under the guidance of the 3D cardiac electrophysiological mapping system. Pumononary veins isolation was achieved in all patients. After 9 months follow-up beyond blanking period, in full analysis set, the success rate was 66.5% (111/167) in the experiment group, which was significantly higher than that in the control group (21.6% (19/88), P<0.001). In PPS, the success rate was also significantly higher in the experiment group than in the control group (67.1% (104/155) vs. 22.8%(18/79), P<0.001). The incidence of adverse events was 19.8% in the experiment group and 13.6% in the control group(P=0.223). The adverse events associated with catheter ablation included 1 case of left subclavian hematoma, 1 case of left subclavian bleeding and 1 case of pericardial effusion, which was alleviated by pericardiocentesis. No pulmonary vein stenosis occurred.

CONCLUSION

Domestic 3D cardiac electrophysiological mapping system can safely and effectively guide catheter ablation of persistent AF.

Potential of Baseline Computed Tomography to Predict Long-Term Survival of Patients With Locally Advanced Esophageal Cancer Treated With Preoperative Chemotherapy: A Retrospective Cohort Study

In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of baseline computed tomography (CT) signs and postoperative TN stages on survival of patients with advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma with preoperative chemotherapy. Consecutive patients (n = 130) with preoperative chemotherapy and radical esophagectomy from January 2006 to December 2011 were enrolled in this study retrospectively. Pathological T and N stages were confirmed by surgery. Baseline CT signs of tumor length, tumor thickness, outer membrane features, total number of lymph node (tLN), short diameter of the largest lymph node (SDL), and clinical T and N stages were measured. Eight-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were estimated using Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards regression analyses to determine associations between baseline CT signs and survival outcomes. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that tLN number, largest LN short axis diameter, pT, and pN stages all correlated with OS significantly. And the total tLN number, SDL and pN stages significantly correlated with DFS. In Cox analyses, total tLN number (>6) and pN stage were significantly associated with OS (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.55 [95% CI, 1.13-2.11, P = 0.006] and HR: 1.49 [95% CI, 1.17-1.90, P = 0.001], respectively). Cox regression analysis showed that OS index was predictive of 1- to 3-year survival. Total number of lymph node in baseline CT provides equal efficiency compared to pN stages in the prediction of 8-year long-term survival outcomes for advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients with preoperative chemotherapy.

Synthesis and Characterization of SiO2@Y2MoO6:Eu3+ Core-Shell Structured Spherical Phosphors by Sol-Gel Process

SiO2@Y2MoO6:Eu3+ core-shell phosphors were prepared by the sol-gel process. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectra (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), photoluminescence (PL) spectra as well as kinetic decays were used to characterize the resulting SiO2@Y2MoO6:Eu3+ core-shell phosphors. The XRD results demonstrated that the Y2MoO6:Eu3+ layers on the SiO2 spheres crystallized after being annealed at 700 °C and the crystallinity increased with raising the annealing temperature. The obtained core-shell phosphors have spherical shape with narrow size distribution (average size ca. 640 nm), non-agglomeration, and smooth surface. The thickness of the Y2MoO6:Eu3+ shells on the SiO2 cores could be easily tailored by varying the number of deposition cycles (70 nm for four deposition cycles). The Eul+ shows a strong PL emission (dominated by 5D0-7F2 red emission at 614 nm) under the excitation of 347 nm UV light. The PL intensity of Eu3+ increases with increasing the annealing temperature and the number of coating cycles.

Stabilized chitosan/Fe(0)-nanoparticle beads to remove heavy metals from polluted sediments

Sediment contamination by heavy metals has become a widespread problem that can affect the normal behaviors of rivers and lakes. After chitosan/Fe(0)-nanoparticles (CS-NZVI) beads were cross-linked with glutaraldehyde (GLA), their mechanical strength, stability and separation efficiency from the sediment were obviously improved. Moreover, the average aperture size of GLA-CS-NZVI beads was 20.6 μm and NZVI particles were nearly spherical in shape with a mean diameter of 40.2 nm. In addition, the pH showed an insignificant effect on the removal rates from the sediment. Due to the dissolution of metals species into aqueous solutions as an introduction of the salt, the removal rates of all heavy metals from the sediment were increased with an increase of the salinity. The competitive adsorption of heavy metals between the sediment particles and GLA-CS-NZVI beads became stronger as the sediment particles became smaller, leading to decreased removal rates. Therefore, the removal efficiency could be enhanced by optimizing experimental conditions and choosing appropriate materials for the target contaminants.

Effect of pregnancy-specific stress on spontaneous preterm birth among Chinese people

BACKGROUND

The current evidence implicates that psychosocial stress, especially pregnancy-specific stress, is associated with the risk of spontaneous preterm birth. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of pregnancy-specific stress on spontaneous preterm birth among Chinese people.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 2,189 pregnant women were enrolled and followed up until parturition from February 2011 to January 2012. Maternal pregnancy-specific stress was assessed using the revised Pregnancy Stress Rating Scale (PSRS) at third trimester in pregnancy. Socio-demographic and psychological data were collected through interviews, medical, and obstetrical examination records.

RESULTS

High levels of maternal pregnancy-specific stress during the third trimester increased risk of spontaneous preterm birth compared with the low and medium levels (adjusted risk ratios, 2.92; 95% confidence interval, 1.12-7.58). The first stressor from the revised PSRS includes a risk factor for the safety of infants.

CONCLUSIONS

High level of pregnancy-specific stress in third trimester might predict spontaneous preterm birth.

ApoE and S-100 expression and its significance in the brain tissue of rats with focal contusion

This study explored the effect of focal cerebral contusion on the expression of ApoE and S-100, and its significance in determining the time of brain injury. Based on a rat model of cerebral contusion, immunohistochemistry was used to analyze the expressions of S-100 and ApoE at different time points after injury. Thirty minutes following cerebral contusion, ApoE protein expression was significantly increased in cortex neurons (P < 0.01), and S-100 protein expression was significantly (P < 0.001) elevated 2 h after cerebral contusion. Over time, the number of ApoE and S-100 positively expressing cells gradually increased. Three days after injury, ApoE was widely distributed throughout the tissue and the number of ApoE-positive cells and staining intensity reached a peak. ApoE expression decreased after this time point. Five days after cerebral contusion, the number of S-100-positive cells reached a peak level of expression higher than that in the control group. Our data demonstrate that the expression of ApoE and S-100 correlated with the progression of focal cerebral contusion. This suggests that both proteins may serve as effective biomarkers of focal cerebral contusions.

Genetic diversity and variability in populations of the white wax insect Ericerus pela, assessed by AFLP analysis

The white wax insect Ericerus pela Chavannes (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) is an economically valuable insect species that has been used for over a thousand years in China. The present study focuses on assessing the genetic variability in different populations of E. pela collected from seven Chinese provinces. The amplified fragment length polymorphism technique was used to generate DNA fingerprints of individuals from each population using nine primer combinations (EcoRI-MseI). A total of 435 polymorphic loci were generated; fragment sizes ranged from 200 to 1000 bp. The percentage of polymorphic loci was 85.29%. Nei's genetic diversity and Shannon index indicated consistency in the results, which showed that the Sichuan population had the highest diversity, followed by Yunnan and Zhejiang populations. Dendrogram analysis showed the shortest genetic distance between the Sichuan and Yunnan populations, suggesting that they probably form sister groups. High genetic differentiation between population values among all sampled populations indicated a low degree of genetic variability within each population (40.85%) and higher variation among populations (59.15%). Gene flow estimate values were low in all samples, suggesting low gene flow from events such as interbreeding and migration. Low gene flow values also suggested that populations among species of E. pela might become genetically heterogeneous, due to counteracting forces such as strong differential selection. Our data support the probability that E. pela will remain localized, and has a low potential to spread beyond current habitats.