Study of association between corneal shape parameters and axial length elongation during orthokeratology using image-pro plus software

BACKGROUND

The aim was to validate the correlation between corneal shape parameters and axial length growth (ALG) during orthokeratology using Image-Pro Plus (IPP) 6.0 software.

METHODS

This retrospective study used medical records of myopic children aged 8-13 years (n = 104) undergoing orthokeratology. Their corneal topography and axial length were measured at baseline and subsequent follow-ups after lens wear. Corneal shape parameters, including the treatment zone (TZ) area, TZ diameter, TZ fractal dimension, TZ radius ratio, eccentric distance, pupil area, and pupillary peripheral steepened zone(PSZ) area, were measured using IPP software. The impact of corneal shape parameters at 3 months post-orthokeratology visit on 1.5-year ALG was evaluated using multivariate linear regression analysis.

RESULTS

ALG exhibited significant associations with age, TZ area, TZ diameter, TZ fractal dimension, and eccentric distance on univariate linear regression analysis. Multivariate regression analysis identified age, TZ area, and eccentric distance as significantly correlated with ALG (all P < 0.01), with eccentric distance showing the strongest correlation (β = -0.370). The regressive equation was y = 1.870 - 0.235a + 0.276b - 0.370c, where y represents ALG, a represents age, b represents TZ area, and c represents eccentric distance; R2 = 0.27). No significant relationships were observed between the TZ radius ratio, pupillary PSZ area, and ALG.

CONCLUSIONS

IPP software proves effective in capturing precise corneal shape parameters after orthokeratology. Eccentric distance, rather than age or the TZ area, significantly influences ALG retardation.

Near-infrared light responsive gold nanoparticles coating endows polyetheretherketone with enhanced osseointegration and antibacterial properties

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) is considered as a promising dental implant material owing to its excellent physicochemical and mechanical properties. However, its wide range of applications is limited by its biologically inert nature. In this study, a near-infrared (NIR) light responsive bioactive coating with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and metronidazole adhered to the PEEK surface via dopamine polymerization. Compared to pure PEEK, the hydrophilicity of the treated PEEK surface was significantly improved. In addition, under NIR light, the surface coating exhibited photothermal conversion effect, and gold nanoparticles and the antibiotic can be released from the coating. This improved the antibacterial properties of PEEK materials. Moreover, the coating was more conducive to the early adhesion of bone mesenchymal stem cells. The results of in vitro and in vivo osteogenic activity studies showed that the developed coating promoted osseointegration of PEEK implants, and NIR light irradiation further improved the antibacterial ability and osteogenic activity of PEEK implants. Through RNA sequencing, the potential underlying mechanism of promoting bone formation of the AuNPs coating combined metronidazole was interpreted. In summary, the developed coating is a potential surface treatment strategy that endows PEEK with enhanced osseointegration and antibacterial properties.

Zeolite imidazolate framework-8 in bone regeneration: A systematic review

Zeolite imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) is a biomaterial that has been increasingly studied in recent years. It has several applications such as bone regeneration, promotion of angiogenesis, drug loading, and antibacterial activity, and exerts multiple effects to deal with various problems in the process of bone regeneration. This systematic review aims to provide an overview of the applications and effectiveness of ZIF-8 in bone regeneration. A search of papers published in the PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases revealed 532 relevant studies. Title, abstract, and full-text screening resulted in 39 papers being included in the review, including 39 in vitro and 22 animal studies. Appropriate concentrations of nano ZIF-8 can promote cell proliferation and osteogenic differentiation by releasing Zn2+ and entering the cell, whereas high doses of ZIF-8 are cytotoxic and inhibit osteogenic differentiation. In addition, five studies confirmed that ZIF-8 exhibits good vasogenic activity. In all in vivo experiments, nano ZIF-8 promoted bone formation. These results indicate that, at appropriate concentrations, materials containing ZIF-8 promote bone regeneration more than materials without ZIF-8, and with characteristics such as promoting angiogenesis, drug loading, and antibacterial activity, it is expected to show promising applications in the field of bone regeneration. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: This manuscript reviewed the use of ZIF-8 in bone regeneration, clarified the biocompatibility and effectiveness in promoting bone regeneration of ZIF-8 materials, and discussed the possible mechanisms and factors affecting its promotion of bone regeneration. Overall, this study provides a better understanding of the latest advances in the field of bone regeneration of ZIF-8, serves as a design guide, and contributes to the design of future experimental studies.

The effect of low-frequency high-intensity ultrasound combined with aspirin on tooth movement in rats

BACKGROUND

Given the difficulties or incapacity of teeth movement in orthodontic treatment, the ways to speed tooth movement must be investigated. Besides, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were utilized to treat pain caused by tooth movement during orthodontic treatment. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of aspirin and low-frequency high-intensity ultrasound (LFHIU) on rat orthodontic tooth movement in rats.

METHODS

Thirty-six male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups: orthodontic (O), ultrasound-treated orthodontic (OU), and ultrasound-treated orthodontic with aspirin gavage (OUA) group. In the OU and OUA group, LFHIU (44 W/cm2, 28 kHz) was applied to the buccal side of the maxillary first molar alveolar bone for 10 s every day. In the OUA group, aspirin was given by gavage every day. The rats were sacrificed on days 1, 3, 7, and 14.

RESULTS

After ultrasonic treatment, the speed of tooth movement was increased by about 1.5 times. And the number of osteoclasts considerably increased by about 2 times. However, they decreased slightly after aspirin gavage. By Applying ultrasound therapy, Receptor Activator for Nuclear Factor-κ B Ligand (RANKL) levels in periodontal tissue were elevated. Aspirin was able to reduce these increases. Results from Micro Computed Tomography (Micro-CT) revealed that bone mineral density decreased by about 1/5 after ultrasound treatment on the compression side. The rate of bone mineral apposition indicated that bone was forming under tension, and that of the OU group increased by about 1.3 times that O group.

CONCLUSIONS

Although aspirin slowed this trend, LFHIU still enhanced overall tooth mobility in orthodontic treatment.

Development of LOX-1 Antibody Modified Immuno-liposomes as Drug Carriers to Macrophages in Atherosclerotic Lesions

We developed a drug delivery system for atherosclerotic lesions using immuno-liposomes. We focused on enhancing the delivery efficiency of the liposomes to macrophages in atherosclerotic lesions by antibody modification of lectinlike oxidized low-density lipoproteins (LDL) receptor 1 (LOX-1). The cellular accumulation of the liposomes in foam cells induced by oxidized LDL (oxLDL) in Raw264 mouse macrophages was evaluated. The cellular accumulation of LOX-1 antibody modified liposomes in oxLDL-induced foam cells and untreated Raw264 cells was significantly higher compared with that of unmodified liposomes. The liposomes were also administered intravenously to Apoeshl mice as an atherosclerosis model. Frozen sections were prepared from the mouse aortas and observed by confocal laser microscopy. The distribution of LOX-1 antibody modified liposomes in the atherosclerotic regions of Apoeshl mice was significantly greater compared with that of unmodified liposomes. The results suggest that LOX-1 antibody modified liposomes can target foam cells in atherosclerotic lesions, providing a potential route for delivering various drugs with pharmacological effects or detecting atherosclerotic foci for the diagnosis of atherosclerosis.

Antibacterial Properties of Gold Nanoparticles in the Modification of Medical Implants: A Systematic Review

The widespread occurrence of bacterial infections and their increased resistance to antibiotics has led to the development of antimicrobial coatings for multiple medical implants. Owing to their desirable properties, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been developed as antibacterial agents. This systematic investigation sought to analyze the antibacterial effects of implant material surfaces modified with AuNPs. The data from 27 relevant studies were summed up. The included articles were collected from September 2011 to September 2021. According to the retrieved literature, we found that medical implants modified by AuNPs have good antibacterial effects against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, and the antibacterial effects would be improved by near-infrared (NIR) radiation.

[Clinical and StAR genetic characteristics of 33 children with congenital lipoid adrenal hyperplasia]

Objective: To analyze the clinical and genetic characteristics of 33 children with congenital lipoid adrenal hyperplasia (CLAH) caused by StAR gene defects. Methods: The clinical, biochemical, genetic, and follow-up (until December 2021) data of 33 children diagnosed with CLAH from 2006 to 2021 were retrospectively analyzed in Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. Results: Of the 33 children with CLAH, 17 had a karyotype of 46, XX and 16 had a karyotype of 46, XY; 31 were female and 2 were male by social gender. Classic type and non-classic type were found in 30 and 3 children respectively. The age at diagnosis was 9.0 (3.0, 34.5) months. All the 30 cases with classic CLAH presented within the first year of life with skin hyperpigmentation (28 cases, 93%), vomiting and(or) diarrhea (19 cases, 63%), no increase in body weight (8 cases, 27%), elevated adrenocorticotropic hormone levels (21cases (70%)>275 pmol/L), decreased cortisol levels (47 (31,126) nmol/L), hyponatremia ((126±13) mmol/L), hyperkalemia ((5.7±1.1) mmol/L), and normal 17α-hydroxyprogesterone levels (30 cases, 100%). All these with classic CLAH exhibited female external genitalia. Three children with non-classic CLAH (including 2 cases of 46, XY and 1 case of 46, XX) also showed signs and symptoms of adrenal insufficiency, but 2 of them had an age of onset later than 1 year of age, including 1 case of 46, XY with male external genitalia and 1 case of 46, XX with female external genitalia. The other 46, XY patient with non-classic CLAH presented with adrenal insufficiency at 2 months of age, showing micropenis and hypospadias. In the 17 females with 46, XX, 4 older than 10 years of age showed spontaneous pubertal development. A total of 25 StAR gene pathogenic variants were identified in 33 patients, with p.Q258* (18/66, 27%), p.K236Tfs*47 (8/66, 12%) and p.Q77* (6/66, 9%) being the common variantion. Six novel variants were found, including c.358T>G, c.713_714del, c.125del, c.745-1G>A, c.179-2A>C, and exon 1 deletion. Conclusions: Patients with classic CLAH typically present with signs and symptoms of primary adrenal insufficiency in the early infancy period and female external genitalia. p.Q258*, p.K236Tfs*47 and p.Q77* are common variants in CLAH patients.

[Disease spectrum analysis of children with inherited metabolic diseases detected by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of urinary organic acids]

Objective: To investigate the spectrum of amino acid, organic acid, and fatty acid oxidative metabolic diseases in children diagnosed by detecting urinary organic acid levels using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Methods: From January 2005 to December 2021, clinical data of 2 461 children diagnosed with inherited metabolic diseases (IMD) by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, in combination with tandem mass spectrometry and genetic testing in Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine were retrospectively analyzed. Results: Among 2 461 children, 1 446 were male and 1 051 were female. A total of 32 types of IMD were detected among 2 461 patients, which included 10 amino acid disorders in 662 cases (26.9%), 6 common diseases were hyperphenylalaninemia, citrin deficiency, ornithine carbamoyltransferase deficiency, maple syrup urine disease, alkaptonuria, and tyrosinemia-I, 17 types of organic acidemias in 1 683 cases (68.4%), 6 common diseases were methylmalonic acidemia, propionic acidemia, valeric acidemia-type Ⅰ, isovaleric acidemia, 3-methylcrotonyl-CoA carboxylase deficiency and multiple carboxylase deficiency and 5 fatty acid β oxidative defects in 116 cases (4.7%), 2 common diseases were multiple acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency and short-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency). Conclusion: Among the diseases diagnosed by analyzing urinary organic acid profiling with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, the most common are organic acidemias, followed by amino acid disorders and fatty acid oxidation defects.

[HBx promotes ubiquitination and degradation of ZO1 and increases the migration and invasion of liver cancer cells]

Objective: To study the effect of hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx) expression level on migration and invasion of zonula occludens protein-1 (ZO-1) in HepG2 liver cancer cells. Methods: Liver cancer cells were transfected with HBV full gene plasmid (pcDNA3.1-HBV1. 1 or pcDNA3.1-HBV1.3), empty plasmid (pcDNA3.1) and HBV-encoded protein plasmids (pHBc, pHBs, pHBp and pHBx), respectively. Western blot and RT-PCR were used to detect ZO1 protein and mRNA levels. Immunoprecipitation was used to detect transfected pHBx. Western blot was used to detect ZO1 ubiquitination levels. Transwell chambers were used to assess cell migration and invasion. Cell proliferation and lactate dehydrogenase assay was used to detect siRNA transfecting targeting ZO1. Flow cytometry was used to detect cell apoptosis and cycle. The data was compared between two and multiple groups by using an independent sample t-test and one-way analysis of variance. Results: Compared with the empty plasmid, ZO1 protein level in HepG2 cells after transiently transfected with pHBV1.1 and pHBV1.3 was decreased by 42.99% ± 6.8% and 55.0% 5 ± 4.56%, respectively, and their mRNA levels did not change significantly. ZO1 protein level in Huh7 cells was decreased by 17.46% ± 4.94% and 47.53% ± 3.38%, respectively. ZO1 protein level after transfection with pHBx was decreased by 47.02% ± 3.4%, while the ZO1 protein level after transfection with pHBc, pHBs and pHBp did not change significantly. ZO1 mRNA level was unaffected with pHBx transfection. ZO1 ubiquitin level and cell migration and invasion ability in HepG2 cells was significantly increased with transfected pHBx. HepG2 cells proliferation, apoptosis and cycle after transfection with ZO1-targeted siRNA did not change significantly, but the migration and invasion ability were significantly increased. Conclusion: HBx can increase the migration and invasion of liver cancer cells by promoting the ubiquitination and degradation of ZO1 protein level.

Strontium-Loaded Nanotubes of Ti-24Nb-4Zr-8Sn Alloys for Biomedical Implantation

Ti-24Nb-4Zr-8Sn (Ti2448) alloys, with a relatively low elastic modulus and unique mechanical properties, are desirable materials for oral implantation. In the current study, a multifaceted strontium-incorporating nanotube coating was fabricated on a Ti2448 alloy (Ti2-NTSr) through anodization and hydrothermal procedures. In vitro, the Ti2-NTSr specimens demonstrated better osteogenic properties and more favorable osteoimmunomodulatory abilities. Moreover, macrophages on Ti2-NTSr specimens could improve the recruitment and osteogenic differentiation of osteoblasts. In vivo, dense clots with highly branched, thin fibrins and small pores existed on the Ti2-NTSr implant in the early stage after surgery. Analysis of the deposition of Ca and P elements, hard tissue slices and the bone-implant contact rate (BIC%) of the Ti2-NTSr implants also showed superior osseointegration. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the Ti2-NTSr coating may maximize the clinical outcomes of Ti2448 alloys for implantation applications.

[Analysis of six children with 3-methylglutaconic aciduria]

Objective: To explore the clinical characteristics, genotypes and long-term outcomes of individuals with 3-methylglutaconic aciduria. Methods: The clinical features, biochemical data, genetic test results and treatment outcomes of six children with 3-methylglutaconic aciduria admitted to the Department of Endocrinology, Genetics and Metabolism, Xinhua Hospital from February 2017 to February 2019 were retrospectively analyzed and the Gesell developmental diagnosis schedule was performed to evaluate the development of four patients. Results: Among 6 children with 3-methylglutaconic aciduria 2 were males and 4 were females.Four cases had 3-methylglutaconic aciduria type Ⅰ and 2 cases had 3-methylglutaconic aciduria with deafness,encephalopathy, and Leigh-like syndrome. Five of 6 patients were detected by newborn screening among whom 4 remained asymptomatic, and only one had a postmortem diagnosis. Among them, 4 patients remained asymptomatic, while two presented with clinical symptoms such as jaundice and dyspnea and the age of disease onset was 1 and 2 days respectively. The concentration of 3-methylglutaconic acid in urine of all affected individuals was between 22.38 and 77.09 mmol/molCr, which was above the normal value. Genetic tests were performed for all patients. Eleven variants were identified in 2 genes, of which 10 variants were novel and only c.442C>T p.(R148X) has been previously reported; Seven variants (c.656-2delA, EX5-EX6 Del, c.942+3A>G, c.373C>T p.(R125W), c.895-3C>G, c.667C>T p.(R223X) and c.894+5G>A) were in AUH gene. The others (c.548G>A p.(R138Q), c.442C>T p.(R148X), c.1339C>T p.(R447X) and c.973dupA p.(M325Nfs*5) were in SERAC1 gene. After being treated with leucine diet restriction and L-carnitine, 4 patients with AUH gene variation who were from asymptomatic phase developed normally, whereas those 2 patients with SERAC1 gene variation had a poor prognosis. During the follow-up, 2 patients exhibited varying degrees of psychomotor retardation, the rest had normal course of development. Conclusions: There are significant clinical heterogeneities among individuals with 3-methylglutaconic aciduria. The most common pathogenic variants are splicing variations, followed by nonsense, missense and frameshift mutations. Leucine-free diet and oral L-carnitine therapy are effective for some patients. Newborn screening is essential for early diagnosis and improvement of prognosis.

Enrichment of Autotrophic Denitrifiers From Anaerobic Sludge Using Sulfurous Electron Donors

This study compared the rates and microbial community development in batch bioassays on autotrophic denitrification using elemental sulfur (S0), pyrite (FeS2), thiosulfate (S2O3 2-), and sulfide (S2-) as electron donor. The performance of two inocula was compared: digested sludge (DS) from a wastewater treatment plant of a dairy industry and anaerobic granular sludge (GS) from a UASB reactor treating dairy wastewater. All electron donors supported the development of a microbial community with predominance of autotrophic denitrifiers during the enrichments, except for sulfide. For the first time, pyrite revealed to be a suitable substrate for the growth of autotrophic denitrifiers developing a microbial community with predominance of the genera Thiobacillus, Thioprofundum, and Ignavibacterium. Thiosulfate gave the highest denitrification rates removing 10.94 mM NO3 - day-1 and 8.98 mM NO3 - day-1 by DS and GS, respectively. This was 1.5 and 6 times faster than elemental sulfur and pyrite, respectively. Despite the highest denitrification rates observed in thiosulfate-fed enrichments, an evaluation of the most relevant parameters for a technological application revealed elemental sulfur as the best electron donor for autotrophic denitrification with a total cost of 0.38 € per m3 of wastewater treated.

[Effects of pressure steam sterilization times on the accuracy of the digital intraoral scanning data]

Objective: To provide a scientific basis for the standardized operation of clinical disinfection by comparing and analyzing the influence of disinfection times on the accuracy of digital intraoral scanning. Methods: The author prepared 10 brand-new intraoral scanning heads (Trios, 3Shape, Denmark), scan the same plaster standard dentition model after 1, 20, 40, and 60 times of pressure steam sterilization, and obtained the data of four groups of experimental groups A, B, C, D, and scan the model 5 times repeatedly after each disinfection cycle of each scanning head. A model scanner (D2000, 3Shape, Denmark) was used to scan the standard dentition model, and the scan results were used as the control group data. Vernier calipers and measurement software were used to measure the arch length (the distance between the mesial cheek tips of the first molars on both sides of the maxillary) and the front and back length (the distance from the tongue protrusion of the right incisor to the buccal tip of the first molar on the right of the upper jaw) of the plaster model and the data of the 4 experimental groups. The line distance results of the 4 groups of experimental groups were compared for statistical analysis, and the trueness and precision values of the 4 groups of experimental groups were compared for statistical analysis. Results: The length of the arch across the 4 experimental groups increased with the increase in the number of disinfection (P<0.05), and there were statistical differences compared with the measurement results of the plaster model (P<0.05); the differences in the length of the dental arch were not statistically significant (P>0.05). The treness of the 4 experimental groups is statistically significant (P<0.05), and the trueness was from high to low in order of group A [(114.85±3.75) μm], group B [(124.65±3.85) μm], group C [(131.45±3.04) μm] and group D [(144.64±3.34) μm]; the precision of the 4 experimental groups was not statistically significant (P>0.05). Conclusions: The number of times of pressure steam sterilization can affect the accuracy of the scanning results of the digital intraoral scanner, and with the increase of the number of sterilizations, the error of the scanning results also tends to increase. The number of sterilizations has no effect on the repeatability of the digital scanning results. The increase in the number of times of pressure steam sterilization affects the accross of the arch but has no effect on the length of the dental arch, and the range of change of the length of the arch is within the clinically acceptable range. After 60 times of pressure steam sterilization, the accuracy of digital scan data can still meet clinical needs.

[Postinflammatroy pulmonary fibrosis of COVID-19: the current status and perspective]

The novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) has been well controlled in China. Most of the COVID-19 patients were having postinflammatory pulmonary fibrosis (PPF) on the follow-up CT scan when discharged, and complaining about exertional dyspnea of different levels, presenting with an UIP (usual interstitial pneumonia) pattern or NSIP (non-specific interstitial pneumonia) pattern on the CT scans. Will the PPF get improved or stay stable, or progress? Such questions could only be answered by follow-up and monitoring of the pulmonary function. At the same time, we should learn from the lessons on pulmonary function loss of the SARS patients and MERS patients, some of whom had persistent impaired lung function after discharge. Pirfenidone and Nintedanib had been approved for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis(IPF), showing effectiveness on non-IPF pulmonary fibrosis as well. However, there are no studies about the application on PPF resulting from viral pneumonia. Given the follow-up status of SARS patients and MERS patients, and the PPF of COVID-19 patients, we should be careful about the discharged patients with a close follow-up, and further studies on PPF of COVID-19 are needed.

[Pharmacotherapeutics for the new coronavirus pneumonia]

The new coronavirus pneumonia (NCP), also named as COVID-19 by WHO on Feb 11 2020, is now causing a severe public health emergency in China since. The number of diagnosed cases is more than 40,000 until the submission of this manuscript. Coronavirus has caused several epidemic situations world widely, but the present contagious disease caused by 2019 new coronavirus is unprecedentedly fulminating. The published cohorts of 2019 new coronavirus (n-Cov) are single-center studies, or retrospective studies. We here share the therapeutic experiences of NCP treatment with literature review. Combination of Ribavirin and interferon-α is recommended by the 5(th) edition National Health Commission's Regimen (Revised Edition) because of the effect on Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and the effectiveness of Lopinavir/Ritonavir and Remdisivir needs to be confirmed by randomized controlled trial (RCT), given the situation of no specific antivirus drug on NCP is unavailable. Systemic glucocorticosteroid is recommended as a short term use (1~2 mg·kg(-1)·d(-1), 3~5 d) by the 5(th) edition National Health Commission's Regimen (Revised Edition) yet RCTs are expected to confirm the effectiveness. Inappropriate application of antibiotics should be avoided, especially the combination of broad-spectrum antibiotics, for the NCP is not often complicated with bacterial infection.

[Pharmacotherapeutics for the New Coronavirus Pneumonia]

The New Coronavirus Pneumonia (NCP, also named as COVID-19 by WHO on Feb 11 2020, is now causing a severe public health emergency in China since. The number of diagnosed cases is more than 40,000 until the submission of this manuscript. Coronavirus has caused several epidemic situations world widely, but the present contagious disease caused by 2019 new Coronavirus is unprecedentedly fulminating. The published cohorts of 2019 new Coronavirus (n-Cov) are single-center studies, or retrospective studies. We here share the therapeutic experiences of NCP treatment with literature review. Combination of Ribavirin and Interferon-α is recommended by the 5(th) edition National Health Commission's Regimen (Revised Edition) because of the effect on MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome), and the effectiveness of Lopinavir/Ritonavir and Remdisivir needs to be confirmed by randomized controlled trial (RCT), given the situation of no specific antivirus drug on NCP is unavailable. Systemic glucocorticosteroid is recommended as a short term use (1~2 mg.kg(-1).d(-1), 3~5d ) by the 5(th) edition National Health Commission's Regimen (Revised Edition) yet RCTs are expected to confirm the effectiveness. Inappropriate application of antibiotics should be avoided, especially the combination of broad-spectrum antibiotics, for the NCP is not often complicated with bacterial infection.

[Related factors on skip metastasis of neck lymph node in papillary thyroid carcinoma]

Objective: To investigate the correlation between skip metastasis of neck lymph node and clinicopathological features in papillary thyroid carcinoma. Methods: Totally 272 papillary thyroid carcinoma patients with lateral lymph node metastases who received surgical procedure at Department of Thyroid Surgery, the First Hospital of the Jilin University from January 2014 to June 2016 were analyzed retrospectively. There were 105 male and 167 female patients, aging from 16 to 73 years with a mean age of (42±8) years. There were 29 patients (10.7%) with skip metastasis. And then the correlation between skip metastasis of neck lymph node and clinicopathological features was analyzed by χ(2) test and multivariate Logistic regression test. Results: The rate of skip metastasis in all patients was 10.7% (29/272). By summarizing the distribution of the lateral lymph nodes about the patients with skip metastasis, 16 cases metastasized in single level (55.2%), meanwhile 6 in two levels (20.7%) and 7 in three levels (24.1%). Strong correlation between age, tumor location and skip metastasis was found using χ(2) test (χ(2) values were 14.056 and 21.362 respectively, both P values were 0.000). Age (>45 years) (OR=4.318, 95% CI: 1.767 to 10.552, P=0.001), microcarcinoma (OR=2.623, 95% CI: 1.013 to 6.795, P=0.047)and the tumor located in the upper of the thyroid (OR=11.982, 95% CI: 2.533 to 56.173, P=0.002) were risk factors to the skip metastasis through multivariable Logistic regression analysis. Conclusions: Age >45 years old, microcarcinoma or tumor located in the upper part of the thyroid gland was more likely present with skip metastasis. Skip metastases are often involved in the lateral multi-level. Therefore, confronted patients with one of these risk factors, the occurrence of skip metastasis should be awared when the lateral lymph node was large abnormally. Accordingly, it may be appropriate to extend the indications of fine needle aspiration for lateral lymph node in order to prevent missed diagnosis.

[Analysis of the related factors of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and allergic rhinitis in children]

Objective:To investigate the association between symptom of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and allergic rhinitis (AR) in children with AR at different sexes and different ages. Method:A total of 439 AR children aged 6 to 12 years were enrolled in this study. Basic information (age, gender, medical history, family history and comorbidities) of children with AR was collected. Results of prick tests on children skin were recorded. (TNSS) and Chinese version of the SNAP-Ⅳ scale, children under the guidance of independent completion of children's quality of life of children with nasal conjunctivitis scale (PRQLQ). According to the results of SNAP-Ⅳ, children were divided into AR with ADHD group ［attention deficit and hyperactivity symptom score (IHS) >1.25］ and AR without ADHD group (IHS≤1.25). The differences between the two groups of children were analyzed using group t-test and χ² test, and the relationship between each parameter and IHS >1.25 was analyzed by binary logistic regression. Result:Using SPSS 22.0 software, among all the included AR children, IHS >1.25 children accounted for 26.4%, IHS >1.25 group AR symptom scores were significantly higher than HIS ≤1.25 groups. Univariate analysis showed that children with age, gender, duration of AR symptoms, skin index and PRQLQ subscales had a correlation with IHS >1.25. After controlling for age and gender, duration of AR symptoms and skin index correlated with IHS >1.25 The estimated OR values are 1.807 (95%CI: 1.350-2.419) and 1.912 (95%CI: 1.320-2.772), respectively. The estimated OR values of PRQLQ subscale and IHS >1.25 were 1.657 (nasal symptom score), 1.324 (eye symptom score), 2.48 (non-eye-nasal symptom score), 1.418 (Behavior problem score) and 2.045 (activity and sleep score). The correlation between IHS>1.25 and the skin index and PRQLQ subscales was mainly found in males with stratification of age and gender, and the association between duration of AR symptoms and HIS >1.25 was statistically significant among all groups reflected. Conclusion:The association between attention deficits and hyperactivity symptoms in AR children was correlated with the severity of AR symptoms, duration, and skin index, and this association was more pronounced in males. In children with AR and ADHD, early management of AR symptoms may improve their ADHD symptoms.

Anaerobic co-digestion of pig manure and food waste; effects on digestate biosafety, dewaterability, and microbial community dynamics

This study assessed the effect of varying pig manure (PM)/food waste (FW) mixing ratio and hydraulic retention time (HRT) on methane yields, digestate dewaterability, enteric indicator bacteria and microbial communities during anaerobic co-digestion. Three 10 L digesters were operated at 39 °C, each with a PM/FW feedstock composition of 85%/15%, 63%/37% and 40%/60% (volatile solids basis). While the PM/FW ratio was different among reactors, the organic loading rate applied was equal, and increased stepwise with reducing HRT. The effects of three different HRTs were studied: 41, 29, and 21 days. Increasing the proportion of FW in the feedstock significantly increased methane yields, but had no significant effect on counts of enteric indicator bacteria in the digestate or specific resistance to filtration, suggesting that varying the PM/FW feedstock composition at the mixing ratios studied should not have major consequences for digestate disposal. Decreasing HRT significantly increased volumetric methane yields, increased digestate volatile solids concentrations and increased the proportion of particles >500 µm in the digestate, indicating that decreasing HRT to 21 days reduced methane conversion efficiency High throughput 16S rRNA sequencing data revealed that microbial communities were just slightly affected by changes in digester operating conditions. These results would provide information useful when optimizing the start-up and operation of biogas plants treating these substrates.

A glimpse of gluons through deeply virtual compton scattering on the proton

The internal structure of nucleons (protons and neutrons) remains one of the greatest outstanding problems in modern nuclear physics. By scattering high-energy electrons off a proton we are able to resolve its fundamental constituents and probe their momenta and positions. Here we investigate the dynamics of quarks and gluons inside nucleons using deeply virtual Compton scattering (DVCS)-a highly virtual photon scatters off the proton, which subsequently radiates a photon. DVCS interferes with the Bethe-Heitler (BH) process, where the photon is emitted by the electron rather than the proton. We report herein the full determination of the BH-DVCS interference by exploiting the distinct energy dependences of the DVCS and BH amplitudes. In the regime where the scattering is expected to occur off a single quark, measurements show an intriguing sensitivity to gluons, the carriers of the strong interaction.

Large-scale study of clinical and biochemical characteristics of Chinese patients diagnosed with Krabbe disease

Krabbe disease (KD) is a rare disease caused by the deficiency of β-galactocerebrosidase. This study investigated 22 unrelated Chinese patients, including their clinical presentations, plasma psychosine levels and β-galactocerebrosidase gene mutations. We found the late-onset form of KD present in 82% of the patients in our study, which was more prevalent than in patients from other populations. Plasma psychosine levels were elevated in KD, which were correlated with the severity of clinical presentations. Sanger sequencing identified 8 novel mutations, including 7 missense mutations, p.H253Y, p.S259L, p.P318L, p.F350V, p.T428A, p.L530P, p.G586D, and 1 splicing mutation, c.1251+1G>A. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification identified a novel exon 12 and 14 deletion, separately. Next generation sequencing, applied at the final step, revealed 2 missense mutant alleles missed using Sanger sequencing. The most common mutation in Chinese population is p.P154H, which accounts for 20.5% of alleles. Consistent with the higher prevalence of the late-onset form of KD, missense mutations predominated in our study, different with the common mutation types in Europe and Japan. This work was the first large-scale study of Chinese KD patients describing their clinical, biochemical and genetic characteristics, which furthered our understanding of this classical neurological lysosomal storage disease.

Differential expression of miR16 in glioblastoma and glioblastoma stem cells: their correlation with proliferation, differentiation, metastasis and prognosis

The function of miR16 in multiforme glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and its stem cells (GSCs) remains elusive. To this end, we investigated the patterns of miR16 expression in these cells and their correlation with malignant behaviors and clinical outcomes. The levels of miR16 and its targeted genes in tumor tissue of GBM and GBM SGH44, U87, U251 cells as well as their stem cell counterparts were measured by qRT–PCR or western blot or immunohistochemistry. Luciferase reporter assay was used to confirm the binding of miR16 to 3′-UTR of its target genes. The effects of miR16 on malignant behaviors were investigated, including tumor cell viability, soft-agar colony formation, GSCs Matrigel colony forming and migration and invasion as well as nude mice xenograft model. Differentially expression patterns of miR16 in glioblastoma cells and GSCs cells were found in this study. Changes of miR16 targeted genes, Bcl2 (B cell lymphoma 2), CDK6 (Cyclin-dependent kinase 6), CCND1 (cyclin D1), CCNE1 (cyclin E1) and SOX5 were confirmed in glioblastoma cell lines and tissue specimens. In vitro and in vivo studies showed that tumor cell proliferation was inhibited by miR16 mimic, but enhanced by miR16 inhibitor. The expression level of miR16 positively correlates with GSCs differentiation, but negatively with the abilities of migration, motility, invasion and colony formation in glioblastoma cells. The inhibitory effects of miR16 on its target genes were also found in nude mice xenograft model. Our findings revealed that the miR16 functions as a tumor suppressor in GSCs and its association with prognosis in GBM.

Rosenbluth Separation of the π^{0} Electroproduction Cross Section

We present deeply virtual π^{0} electroproduction cross-section measurements at x_{B}=0.36 and three different Q^{2} values ranging from 1.5 to 2  GeV^{2}, obtained from Jefferson Lab Hall A experiment E07-007. The Rosenbluth technique is used to separate the longitudinal and transverse responses. Results demonstrate that the cross section is dominated by its transverse component and, thus, is far from the asymptotic limit predicted by perturbative quantum chromodynamics. Nonetheless, an indication of a nonzero longitudinal contribution is provided by the measured interference term σ_{LT}. Results are compared with several models based on the leading-twist approach of generalized parton distributions (GPDs). In particular, a fair agreement is obtained with models in which the scattering amplitude includes convolution terms of chiral-odd (transversity) GPDs of the nucleon with the twist-3 pion distribution amplitude. This experiment, together with previous extensive unseparated measurements, provides strong support to the exciting idea that transversity GPDs can be accessed via neutral pion electroproduction in the high-Q^{2} regime.

FOXK1 interaction with FHL2 promotes proliferation, invasion and metastasis in colorectal cancer

The transcriptional factor Forkhead box k1 (FOXK1) is a member of the FOX family. The abnormal expression of FOXK1 may have an important role in tumour development. Our previous studies showed that four-and-a-half LIM protein 2 (FHL2) is a critical inducer of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and invasion. However, the molecular mechanism by which FOXK1 synergizes with FHL2 tumour proliferation, EMT and metastasis is not well defined. We evaluated that messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression levels by quantitative RT–PCR, western blot, immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry (IHC) assays. The migration and invasive abilities of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells were evaluated using short hairpin RNA (shRNA)-mediated inhibition in vitro and in vivo. We showed that FOXK1 expression was upregulated in CRC compared with matched normal tissues. FOXK1 physically interacts with FHL2 in CRC. Moreover, higher expression levels of the two proteins were significantly associated with differentiation, lymph node metastasis, AJCC stage and poorer prognosis. Furthermore, the overexpression of FOXK1 in CRC cells is associated with EMT, invasion and metastasis. However, the siRNA-mediated repression of FHL2 in FOXK1-overexpressing cells reversed EMT and both the proliferative and metastatic phenotypes in vitro and in vivo. These data identified that the co-expression of FOXK1 and FHL2 enhances cell proliferation and metastasis through the induction of EMT. Thus, FOXK1 and FHL2 may serve as putative targets in the combined therapy of CRC.

In vivo periodontal tissue regeneration by periodontal ligament stem cells and endothelial cells in three-dimensional cell sheet constructs

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Chronic periodontitis causes damage to tooth-supporting tissues, resulting in tooth loss in adults. Recently, cell-sheet-based approaches have been studied to overcome the limitations of conventional cytotherapeutic procedures for periodontal regeneration. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the regenerative potential of periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in three-dimensional (3D) cell sheet constructs for periodontal regeneration in vivo.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

PDLSCs, HUVECs or co-cultures of both cells were seeded onto temperature-responsive culture dishes, and intact cell sheets were fabricated. Cell sheets were wrapped around the prepared human roots in three different combinations and implanted subcutaneously into immunodeficient mice.

RESULTS

Histological evaluation revealed that after 2, 4 and 8 wk of implantation, periodontal ligament-like tissue arrangements were observed around the implanted roots in experimental groups compared with controls. Vascular lumens were also observed in periodontal compartments of HUVEC-containing groups. Periodontal ligament regeneration, cementogenesis and osteogenesis were evident in the experimental groups at both weeks 4 and 8, as shown by immunostaining for periostin and bone sialoprotein. Human cells in the transplanted cell sheets were stained by immunohistochemistry for the presence of human mitochondria.

CONCLUSIONS

The 3D cell sheet-based approach may be potentially beneficial and is thus encouraged for future regenerative periodontal therapy.

[Blood 7-ketocholesterol level, clinical features and gene mutation analysis of 18 children with Niemann-Pick disease type C]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate 7-ketocholesterol (7-KC) level in the blood, clinical features and gene mutation of Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC).

METHOD

Eighteen patients diagnosed as NPC in Shanghai Xinhua Hospital seen from February 2013 to October 2014 were enrolled in this study. They included 13 males and 5 females and aged from 5 months to 21 years. The plasma 7-KC concentrations, clinical features and gene mutations of NPC patients were reviewed retrospectively.

RESULT

Fourteen NPC patients had neurological symptoms with the age of neurological onset from 1 year to 16 years. In seven cases the disease was early-infantile subtype, in 1 late-infantile subtype, in five juvenile subtype and in one adult subtype. The 7-KC value in the plasma of NPC patients was higher than the normal range, (348.5±168.7) μg/L in the early-infantile subtype, 150.6 μg/L in the late-infantile subtype, (145.0±46.3) μg/L in the juvenile subtype, and 32.0 μg/L in the adult subtype, respectively, additionally, four NPC patients had no observable neuropsychiatric disability when confirmed to be NPC by genetic testing, with the plasma 7-KC value (345.6±134.2) μg/L; 16 of 18 patients had splenomegaly or hepatosplenomegaly. Among 18 patients, 34 different mutations in the NPC1 gene were identified including 27 reported mutations, 1 novel small deletion 3609_3610delAC, five novel exonic point mutations, c. 3683T>C(M1228T), c. 3679A>T(R1227W), c. 1070C>T(S357L), c. 1456A>C(N486H) and c. 1142G>A(W381X) and 1 novel intronic mutation c. 881+ 3A>G.

CONCLUSION

The 7-KC levels in the blood of patient was remarkably increased, and there was a tendency that 7-KC levels inversely correlated with the age of neurological onset. Most NPC patient had splenomegaly or hepatosplenomegaly. Among 18 patients, 34 different mutations in the NPC1 gene were identified including seven novel mutations, which enriched the gene mutation spectrum.

MIM regulates the trafficking of bone marrow cells via modulating surface expression of CXCR4

Missing in metastasis (MIM) is abundantly expressed in hematopoietic cells. Here we characterized the impact of MIM deficiency on murine bone marrow (BM) cells. Although MIM^-/- cells proliferated similarly to wild type (WT), they exhibited stronger response to chemokine SDF-1, increase in surface expression of CXCR4, impaired CXCR4 internalization and constitutive activation of Rac, Cdc42 and p38. Transplantation of MIM^-/- BM cells into lethally irradiated mice showed enhanced homing to BM, which was abolished when mice were pretreated with a p38 antagonist. Interestingly, MIM^-/- BM cells, including hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), showed 2 to 5-fold increase in mobilization into the peripheral blood upon treatment with AMD3100. In vitro, MIM^-/- leukocytes were susceptible to AMD3100 and maintained increased response to AMD3100 for mobilization even after transfer into wild type mice. MIM^-/- mice had also a higher level of SDF-1 in the circulation. Our data highlighted an unprecedented role of MIM in the homoeostasis of BM cells, including HSPCs, through modulation of the CXCR4/SDF-1 axis and interactions of BM leukocytes with their microenvironments.

Impact of patient characteristics on the clinical efficacy of mongersen (GED-0301), an oral Smad7 antisense oligonucleotide, in active Crohn's disease

BACKGROUND

In a phase 2 study, mongersen, an oral antisense oligonucleotide targeting Smad7, was effective in inducing clinical remission in approximately 60% of patients with active Crohn's disease (CD).

AIM

In a post hoc analysis to evaluate those patient disease characteristics that may have influenced the efficacy and safety of mongersen therapy.

METHODS

Patients with steroid-dependent/resistant, active CD were randomised to mongersen 10, 40 or 160 mg/day or placebo for 2 weeks; patients were followed for 10 weeks. Clinical remission [Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) score <150] and clinical response (CDAI score reduction ≥100 points) were assessed at weeks 2, 4 and 12 for these subgroups: disease duration <5/≥5 years, human serum C-reactive protein (hsCRP) <3/≥3 mg/L, and CDAI at baseline ≤260/>260. Additional patient baseline and disease characteristics were explored.

RESULTS

Clinical remission and response rates were significantly higher in patients receiving mongersen 40 and 160 mg/day but not 10 mg/day vs. placebo and independent of disease duration and hsCRP. Patients with baseline CDAI ≤260 had significantly higher remission rates with 40 and 160 mg/day. In patients with baseline CDAI >260, remission rates were statistically greater with 160 mg/day and numerically better with 40 mg/day vs. placebo. Adverse event rates were similar across treatment groups. Mongersen was safe and well tolerated.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with higher CDAI scores achieved clinical remission most frequently with the highest mongersen dose. Disease duration and baseline human serum C-reactive protein did not appear to significantly impact efficacy of mongersen in this study (EudraCT Number: 2011-002640-27.).

Effects of different dl-selenomethionine and sodium selenite levels on growth performance, immune functions and serum thyroid hormones concentrations in broilers

This trial was conducted in a 2 × 3 + 1 factorial arrangement based on a completely randomized design to evaluate the effects of different dl-selenomethionine (dl-Se-Met) and sodium selenite (SS) levels on growth performance, immune functions and serum thyroid hormones concentrations in broilers. A total of 840 Ross 308 broilers (7 days old) were allocated by body weight to seven treatments (three replicates of 40 birds each treatment) including (1) basal diet (containing 0.04 mg of selenium (Se)/kg; control) without supplementary Se; (2, 3 and 4) basal diet + 0.05, 0.15 or 0.25 mg/kg Se as SS; (5, 6 and 7) basal diet + 0.05, 0.15 or 0.25 mg/kg Se as dl-Se-Met. The experiment lasted 42 days. The results revealed that dietary Se supplementation improved (p < 0.05) average daily gain, feed efficiency, immune organ index, serum immunoglobulin A (IgA), immunoglobulin G (IgG), immunoglobulin M (IgM) and triiodothyronine (T3 ) concentrations and decreased (p < 0.01) thyroxine (T4 )/T3 ratio in serum compared with the control. Broilers receiving the dl-Se-Met-supplemented diets had higher (p < 0.05) feed efficiency, thymus index, the amounts of IgA, IgG, IgM and T3 as well as lower (p < 0.05) serum T4 concentrations and T4 /T3 ratio than those consuming the SS-supplemented diets. Serum IgA and IgM levels of broilers fed 0.15 mg Se/kg were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than those of broilers fed 0.05 or 0.25 mg Se/kg. In summary, we concluded that dl-Se-Met is more effective than SS in increasing immunity and promoting conversion of T4 to T3 , thus providing an effective way to improve the growth performance of broilers. Besides, based on a consideration of all experiment indices, 0.15 mg Se/kg was suggested to be the optimal level of Se supplementation under the conditions of this study.

Measurement of the Target-Normal Single-Spin Asymmetry in Quasielastic Scattering from the Reaction (3)He(↑)(e,e')

We report the first measurement of the target single-spin asymmetry, A(y), in quasielastic scattering from the inclusive reaction (3)He(↑)(e,e') on a (3)He gas target polarized normal to the lepton scattering plane. Assuming time-reversal invariance, this asymmetry is strictly zero for one-photon exchange. A nonzero A(y) can arise from the interference between the one- and two-photon exchange processes which is sensitive to the details of the substructure of the nucleon. An experiment recently completed at Jefferson Lab yielded asymmetries with high statistical precision at Q(2)=0.13, 0.46, and 0.97  GeV(2). These measurements demonstrate, for the first time, that the (3)He asymmetry is clearly nonzero and negative at the 4σ-9σ level. Using measured proton-to-(3)He cross-section ratios and the effective polarization approximation, neutron asymmetries of -(1-3)% were obtained. The neutron asymmetry at high Q(2) is related to moments of the generalized parton distributions (GPDs). Our measured neutron asymmetry at Q(2)=0.97  GeV(2) agrees well with a prediction based on two-photon exchange using a GPD model and thus provides a new, independent constraint on these distributions.

Role for the M1 Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor in Top-Down Cognitive Processing Using a Touchscreen Visual Discrimination Task in Mice

The M1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) subtype has been implicated in the underlying mechanisms of learning and memory and represents an important potential pharmacotherapeutic target for the cognitive impairments observed in neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. Patients with schizophrenia show impairments in top-down processing involving conflict between sensory-driven and goal-oriented processes that can be modeled in preclinical studies using touchscreen-based cognition tasks. The present studies used a touchscreen visual pairwise discrimination task in which mice discriminated between a less salient and a more salient stimulus to assess the influence of the M1 mAChR on top-down processing. M1 mAChR knockout (M1 KO) mice showed a slower rate of learning, evidenced by slower increases in accuracy over 12 consecutive days, and required more days to acquire (achieve 80% accuracy) this discrimination task compared to wild-type mice. In addition, the M1 positive allosteric modulator BQCA enhanced the rate of learning this discrimination in wild-type, but not in M1 KO, mice when BQCA was administered daily prior to testing over 12 consecutive days. Importantly, in discriminations between stimuli of equal salience, M1 KO mice did not show impaired acquisition and BQCA did not affect the rate of learning or acquisition in wild-type mice. These studies are the first to demonstrate performance deficits in M1 KO mice using touchscreen cognitive assessments and enhanced rate of learning and acquisition in wild-type mice through M1 mAChR potentiation when the touchscreen discrimination task involves top-down processing. Taken together, these findings provide further support for M1 potentiation as a potential treatment for the cognitive symptoms associated with schizophrenia.

Inorganic nitrogen wet deposition: Evidence from the North-South Transect of Eastern China

We examined the spatio-temporal variation of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) deposition in eight typical forest ecosystems of Eastern China for three consecutive years. DIN deposition exhibited an increasing gradient from north to south, with N-NH4(+) as the predominant contributor. DIN deposition in precipitation changed after interaction with the forest canopy, and serious ecological perturbations are expected in this region. DIN deposition presented seasonal fluctuations, which might be ascribed to agricultural activity, fossil-fuel combustion and environmental factors (i.e., wind direction, soil temperature). Notably, N fertilizer use (FN), energy consumption (E), and precipitation (P) jointly explained 84.3% of the spatial variation in DIN deposition, of which FN (27.2%) was the most important, followed by E (24.8%), and finally P (9.3%). The findings demonstrate that DIN deposition is regulated by precipitation mainly via anthropogenic N emissions, and this analysis provides decision-makers a novel view for N pollution abatement.

Precision Measurement of the p(e,e^{'}p)π^{0} Reaction at Threshold

New results are reported from a measurement of π^{0} electroproduction near threshold using the p(e,e^{'}p)π^{0} reaction. The experiment was designed to determine precisely the energy dependence of s- and p-wave electromagnetic multipoles as a stringent test of the predictions of chiral perturbation theory (ChPT). The data were taken with an electron beam energy of 1192 MeV using a two-spectrometer setup in Hall A at Jefferson Lab. For the first time, complete coverage of the ϕ_{π}^{*} and θ_{π}^{*} angles in the pπ^{0} center of mass was obtained for invariant energies above threshold from 0.5 up to 15 MeV. The 4-momentum transfer Q^{2} coverage ranges from 0.05 to 0.155 (GeV/c)^{2} in fine steps. A simple phenomenological analysis of our data shows strong disagreement with p-wave predictions from ChPT for Q^{2}>0.07 (GeV/c)^{2}, while the s-wave predictions are in reasonable agreement.

An investigation into the removal of Salmonella and enteric indicator bacteria from the separated liquid fraction of raw or anaerobically digested pig manure using novel on-farm woodchip biofilters

The objective was to investigate the removal of Salmonella and enteric indicator bacteria from the liquid fraction of raw and anaerobically digested (AD) pig manure in woodchip biofilters over a 14 week (98 day) period. Antibiotic susceptible Salmonella Infantis was detected in one influent material (liquid fraction of raw manure) on two occasions but was not found in the effluent at any time point. Furthermore, mean coliform reductions of 56% were observed in the biofilters treating the liquid fraction of raw manure. However, a mean increase of 228% was found in those treating the liquid from AD manure, despite the fact that the microbial challenge to these biofilters was lower. In addition, relatively high coliform counts were still present in the effluent from both biofilter treatments, especially in the systems treating the liquid fraction of AD manure. However, findings for Escherichia coli and Enterococcus were more promising, with reductions observed for both treatments (10 and 18.5% for E. coli and 71 and 87% for Enterococcus). Moreover, E. coli and Enterococcus were at, or just above, the limit of detection in the final effluents. Overall, although, there are no microbial limits for discharge or washwaters, the woodchip filter effluent would appear safe for discharge to waterways or use on-farm as regards Salmonella, E. coli and Enterococcus but not coliform. In conclusion, woodchip biofilters offer potential as a low-cost sustainable novel treatment option for the removal of pathogens from the liquid fraction of pig manure.

Experimental quantum-walk revival with a time-dependent coin

We demonstrate a quantum walk with time-dependent coin bias. With this technique we realize an experimental single-photon one-dimensional quantum walk with a linearly ramped time-dependent coin flip operation and thereby demonstrate two periodic revivals of the walker distribution. In our beam-displacer interferometer, the walk corresponds to movement between discretely separated transverse modes of the field serving as lattice sites, and the time-dependent coin flip is effected by implementing a different angle between the optical axis of half-wave plate and the light propagation at each step. Each of the quantum-walk steps required to realize a revival comprises two sequential orthogonal coin-flip operators, with one coin having constant bias and the other coin having a time-dependent ramped coin bias, followed by a conditional translation of the walker.

Measurement of double-polarization asymmetries in the quasielastic (3)He[→](e[→],e(')d) process

We present a precise measurement of double-polarization asymmetries in the ^{3}He[over →](e[over →],e^{'}d) reaction. This particular process is a uniquely sensitive probe of hadron dynamics in ^{3}He and the structure of the underlying electromagnetic currents. The measurements have been performed in and around quasielastic kinematics at Q^{2}=0.25(GeV/c)^{2} for missing momenta up to 270  MeV/c. The asymmetries are in fair agreement with the state-of-the-art calculations in terms of their functional dependencies on p_{m} and ω, but are systematically offset. Beyond the region of the quasielastic peak, the discrepancies become even more pronounced. Thus, our measurements have been able to reveal deficiencies in the most sophisticated calculations of the three-body nuclear system, and indicate that further refinement in the treatment of their two-and/or three-body dynamics is required.

Precision measurement of the neutron twist-3 matrix element d(2)(n): probing color forces

Double-spin asymmetries and absolute cross sections were measured at large Bjorken x  (0.25≤x≤0.90), in both the deep-inelastic and resonance regions, by scattering longitudinally polarized electrons at beam energies of 4.7 and 5.9 GeV from a transversely and longitudinally polarized (3)He target. In this dedicated experiment, the spin structure function g(2)((3)He) was determined with precision at large x, and the neutron twist-3 matrix element d(2)(n) was measured at ⟨Q(2)⟩ of 3.21 and 4.32  GeV(2)/c(2), with an absolute precision of about 10(-5). Our results are found to be in agreement with lattice QCD calculations and resolve the disagreement found with previous data at ⟨Q(2)⟩=5  GeV(2)/c(2). Combining d(2)(n) and a newly extracted twist-4 matrix element f(2)(n), the average neutron color electric and magnetic forces were extracted and found to be of opposite sign and about 30  MeV/fm in magnitude.

Measurement of the target-normal single-spin asymmetry in deep-inelastic scattering from the reaction (3)He(↑)(e,e')X

We report the first measurement of the target-normal single-spin asymmetry in deep-inelastic scattering from the inclusive reaction 3)He(↑)(e,e')X on a polarized (3)He gas target. Assuming time-reversal invariance, this asymmetry is strictly zero in the Born approximation but can be nonzero if two-photon-exchange contributions are included. The experiment, conducted at Jefferson Lab using a 5.89 GeV electron beam, covers a range of 1.7<W<2.9  GeV, 1.0<Q(2)<4.0  GeV(2) and 0.16<x<0.65. Neutron asymmetries were extracted using the effective nucleon polarization and measured proton-to-(3)He cross-section ratios. The measured neutron asymmetries are negative with an average value of (-1.09±0.38)×10(-2) for invariant mass W>2  GeV, which is nonzero at the 2.89σ level. Our measured asymmetry agrees both in sign and magnitude with a two-photon-exchange model prediction that uses input from the Sivers transverse momentum distribution obtained from semi-inclusive deep-inelastic scattering.

Probing the repulsive core of the nucleon-nucleon interaction via the (4)He(e,e'pN) triple-coincidence reaction

We studied simultaneously the (4)He(e,e'p), (4)He(e,e'pp), and (4)He(e,e'pn) reactions at Q(2)=2(GeV/c)(2) and x(B)>1, for an (e,e'p) missing-momentum range of 400 to 830  MeV/c. The knocked-out proton was detected in coincidence with a proton or neutron recoiling almost back to back to the missing momentum, leaving the residual A=2 system at low excitation energy. These data were used to identify two-nucleon short-range correlated pairs and to deduce their isospin structure as a function of missing momentum, in a region where the nucleon-nucleon (NN) force is expected to change from predominantly tensor to repulsive. The abundance of neutron-proton pairs is reduced as the nucleon momentum increases beyond ∼500  MeV/c. The extracted fraction of proton-proton pairs is small and almost independent of the missing momentum. Our data are compared with calculations of two-nucleon momentum distributions in (4)He and discussed in the context of probing the elusive repulsive component of the NN force.

Clinical and pathological features of adult pulmonary tuberculosis with reversed halo sign

OBJECTIVE

To understand the pathological correlation of the reversed halo sign (RHS) in adult pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) patients, and to compare the clinical characteristics of PTB patients with RHS with those without RHS.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study included 80 patients consecutively diagnosed with PTB by pathology or smear-positive sputum or bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from 1 January to 31 August 2012. All patients underwent high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scan, and were divided into two groups based on HRCT findings: RHS and non-RHS. All patients in the RHS group underwent CT-guided transthoracic lung biopsy to evaluate histopathological abnormalities. Clinical features such as smoking history, TB-related symptoms and comorbidities were compared.

RESULTS

The 'ring' in the RHS corresponded to granulomata, with or without acid-fast stain positivity, and with or without caseating necrosis. Compared with the non-RHS group, patients in the RHS group were significantly younger, were less likely to have a smoking history and had fewer TB-related symptoms and comorbidities.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study shows that younger PTB patients with relatively better baseline status tended to present with RHS on HRCT, have fewer TB-related symptoms and present atypically.