[Analysis of the clinical characteristics of acute myeloid leukemia related to the treatment of hematological and solid tumors]

Objective: To compare and analyze the clinical characteristics of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) related to the treatment of hematological tumors and solid tumors. Methods: The laboratory and clinical data of 41 patients with treatment-related AML (t-AML) in the Department of Hematology, Henan Cancer Hospital from January 2014 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed, and they were divided into hematological tumor group and solid tumor group. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method and Log rank test. Results: The median interval from the first tumor diagnosis to t-AML in 41 patients was 21.0 (16.5-46.0) months; 24 (58.5%) had abnormal expression of lymphoid antigen, 28 (68.3%) had abnormal karyotype, 18 cases (43.9%) were positive for fusion gene, and 28 cases (68.3%) were positive for gene mutation; the median recurrence-free survival (RFS) was 11.0 months, and the median overall survival (OS) was 11.5 months. The proportion of acute promyelocytic leukemia ([APL], 0.0, 0/13), complete response ([CR],18.2%, 2/11), median OS (4.5 months) and median RFS (2.5 months) of t-AML patients in the hematological tumor group were significantly lower than those in the solid tumor group (35.7%, 10/28; 68.0%, 17/25; not reach; not reach), but the proportion of M4 /M5 (93.2%,12/13) was significantly higher than that in the solid tumor group (53.6%,15/18; all P values<0.05). Through subgroup analysis, the proportion of patients with positive PML-RARa and good prognosis karyotypes in the solid tumor group (35.7%, 10/28; 46.4%, 13/28) was significantly higher than that in the hematological tumor group (0.0, 0/13; 0.0, 0/13; P<0.05), while the proportion of patients with intermediate karyotypes (42.9%, 12/28) was significantly lower than that in the hematological tumor group (84.6%, 11/13; P<0.05), the difference was statistically significant. The CR rate (90.0%, 9/10), median OS (not reach) and median RFS (not reach) in the t-APL group were higher than those in the t-AML (without t-APL) group (38.5%, 10/26; 6 months; 8 months; P<0.05). After excluding the effect of t-APL patients, there was no significant difference in the CR rate, median OS and median RFS between the solid tumor group (8; 9 months; not reach) and the hematological tumor group (2; 4 months; 2 months; P>0.05). Univariate analysis showed that the primary tumor belongs to hematological tumor was a common risk factor for OS and RFS in t-AML patients (P<0.10). Conclusions: Compared with patients with t-AML secondary to solid tumors, patients with t-AML secondary to hematological tumors have poorer treatment effects and poorer prognosis. After excluding the effect of t-APL patients, there are no significant differences in the treatment efficacy and prognosis between the two types of t-AML patients.

[Efficacy and safety of pulsed radiofrequency combined with gabapentin in the treatment of acute herpetic neuralgia]

Objective: To explore the clinical efficacy and safety of pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) combined with gabapentin in the treatment of acute herpetic neuralgia (AHN). Methods: A total of 123 AHN patients were retrospectively selected in Henan Provincial People's Hospital from November 2019 to July 2022, who were divided into two groups based on treatment methods: control group (treated with gabapentin, n=61) and study group (treated with gabapentin and PRF, n=62). The visual analog scale (VAS) was utilized for pain severity assessment and the self-rating scale for sleep (SRSS) was utilized for sleep quality evaluation. The differences in serum levels of interleukin (IL)-10, chemokine ligand 10 (CXCL-10), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), IL-2 and IL-6 before and after treatment were compared between the two groups. The overall treatment effectiveness and the occurrence rates of postherpetic neuralgia and adverse reactions were evaluated in both groups. Results: Among the study group patients, 28 were male and 34 were female, and the age was (62.8±8.5) years. Among the control group patients, 35 were male and 26 were female, and the age was (64.0±7.8) years. The VAS scores of the study group before and after treatment were 7.96±1.33 and 1.52±0.60, respectively, while the control group were 7.68±1.52 and 2.70±0.64. The SRSS scores before and after treatment in the study group were 31.74±5.90 and 12.06±2.81, respectively, while those in the control group were 33.10±5.54 and 14.14±2.96, respectively. Before treatment, there were no statistically differences of the VAS scores and SRSS scores in both groups (all P>0.05). After treatment, the VAS scores and SRSS scores in both groups decreased compared with before treatment (all P<0.05), the study group's VAS scores and SRSS scores were lower than those in the control group (all P<0.05). Before treatment, there were no statistically differences of the serum levels of IL-10, CXCL-10, PGE2, COX-2, IL-2 and IL-6 in both groups (all P>0.05). After treatment, the serum levels of IL-10, CXCL-10, PGE2, COX-2 and IL-6 in both groups decreased compared with before treatment, while the IL-2 level increased. Additionally, the study group had lower serum levels of IL-10, PGE2, COX-2 and IL-6 compared with the control group (all P<0.05). After treatment, the study group had 35 cases of cure, 26 cases of effectiveness, and 1 case of ineffectiveness, while the control group had 22 cases of cure, 31 cases of effectiveness, and 8 cases of ineffectiveness. The overall treatment efficacy of the study group was better than that of the control group (P=0.012). The incidence of postherpetic neuralgia in the study group after treatment was 16.1% (10/62), which was lower than that in the control group, which was 37.7% (23/61) (P<0.05). There were no statistically differences of the occurrence rates of adverse reactions in both groups (all P>0.05). Conclusion: Combining PRF with gabapentin for the treatment of AHN demonstrates better overall efficacy and safety, which can more effectively alleviate pain, improve sleep, and reduce inflammatory cytokine levels.

[Efficacy and safety of high-voltage pulsed radiofrequency combined with pregabalin on severe thoracic postherpetic neuralgia]

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and safety of high-voltage pulse radiofrequency combined with pregabalin on severe thoracic postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). Methods: A total of 103 patients with PHN who were admitted to the Department of Pain Medicine of Henan Provincial People's Hospital from May 2020 to May 2022 were retrospectively selected, including 50 males and 53 females, and aged 40 to 79 (65.4±9.2) years. The patients were divided into two groups according to the treatment methods they received: the control group (n=51) and the study group (n=52). The patients in the control group were treated with oral pregabalin, and the patients in the study group received pregabalin plus high-voltage pulse radiofrequency therapy. The pain intensity and efficacy of the two groups were evaluated before treatment and 4 weeks after treatment. The pain intensity, the sleep quality and the efficacy of treatment was evaluated by visual analogue scale (VAS) score, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score and nimodipine method, respectively. The levels of pain mediators including serum neuropeptide Y (NPY), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), substance P (SP) and β-endorphin were measured. The differences of the above indicators and the incidence of adverse reactions were compared between the two groups. Results: The VAS scores of the study group and the control group before treatment were 7.94±0.76 and 8.20±0.81, and PSQI scores were 16.84±3.90 and 16.29±3.84, respectively, with no statistically significant differences (both P>0.05). After 4 weeks of treatment, the VAS scores of the two groups were 2.84±0.80 and 3.35±0.87, and PSQI scores were 6.78±1.90 and 7.98±2.40, respectively, and the VAS score and PSQI score in the study group were lower than those in the control group (both P<0.05). There were no significant differences of the serum levels of NPY, PGE2, SP and β-endorphin before treatment in the study group and control group (all P>0.05). After 4 weeks of treatment, the levels of NPY, PGE2, SP and β-Endorphin in the study group were (240.7±26.8) ng/L, (74.4±8.6) μg/L, (108.9±15.7) ng/L and (4.4±0.9) ng/L, which were lower than those in the control group [(268.1±29.4) ng/L, (79.7±8.3) μg/L, (115.2±16.2) ng/L, (5.2±1.3) ng/L, respectively], with statistically significant differences (all P<0.05). After treatment, 29 cases were cured, 16 cases were markedly effective and 6 cases were effective in the study group, while 16 cases, 24 cases and 8 cases were cured, markedly effective and effective in the control group, respectively. The overall efficacy of patients in the study group was better than that in the control group (Z=-2.32, P=0.018). The incidence of adverse reactions in the study group and control group was 11.5% (6/52) and 7.8% (4/51), respectively, with no statistically significant difference (χ2=0.40, P=0.527). Conclusion: High-voltage pulse radiofrequency combined with pregabalin can significantly improve the pain intensity and sleep quality of patients with severe thoracic PHN and reduce the levels of pain mediators, with a high safety profile.

[Chest hemorrhage after left total pulmonary resection for secondary rifampin-resistant tuberculosis:a case report]

The patient had received five courses of anti-tuberculosis treatment for recurrent tuberculosis. The drug sensitivity test results of the first three courses showed drug-sensitive pulmonary tuberculosis, and the fourth diagnosis was rifampin-resistant tuberculosis (RR-TB), complicated by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, type Ⅱ respiratory failure, pulmonary heart disease, and heart failure (grade Ⅲ). The patient stopped taking the anti-tuberculosis drugs on his own in the eighth month of receiving the resistant treatment. After admission, the symptoms improved temporarily after receiving oxygen therapy, anti-infection, and anti-tuberculosis treatment. Because of hemoptysis, the patient underwent arterial embolization by catheterization, but a large amount of hemoptysis occurred shortly thereafter. Emergency left total lung resection and gauze packing for hemostasis were performed. After surgery, the patient's vital signs were maintained with mechanical ventilation and vasopressors. Forty-eight hours after surgery, the gauze was removed, and the patient underwent tracheotomy, enteral nutrition, and anti-tuberculosis treatment. After discharge, the patient underwent rehabilitative exercise and anti-resistant tuberculosis therapy. The patient's condition remained stable for more than six months of follow-up.

[Efficacy and safety of high-voltage pulsed radiofrequency combined with pregabalin on severe thoracic postherpetic neuralgia]

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and safety of high-voltage pulse radiofrequency combined with pregabalin on severe thoracic postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). Methods: A total of 103 patients with PHN who were admitted to the Department of Pain Medicine of Henan Provincial People's Hospital from May 2020 to May 2022 were retrospectively selected, including 50 males and 53 females, and aged 40 to 79 (65.4±9.2) years. The patients were divided into two groups according to the treatment methods they received: the control group (n=51) and the study group (n=52). The patients in the control group were treated with oral pregabalin, and the patients in the study group received pregabalin plus high-voltage pulse radiofrequency therapy. The pain intensity and efficacy of the two groups were evaluated before treatment and 4 weeks after treatment. The pain intensity, the sleep quality and the efficacy of treatment was evaluated by visual analogue scale (VAS) score, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score and nimodipine method, respectively. The levels of pain factors including serum neuropeptide Y (NPY), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), substance P (SP) and β-Endorphin were measured. The differences of the above indicators and the incidence of adverse reactions were compared between the two groups. Results: The VAS scores and PSQI scores of the study group and the control group before treatment were (7.94±0.76), (8.20±0.81), (16.84±3.90) and (16.29±3.84), respectively, with no statistically significant difference (both P>0.05). After 4 weeks of treatment, the VAS scores and PSQI scores of the two groups were (2.84±0.80), (3.35±0.87), (6.78±1.90) and (7.98±2.40), respectively, and the VAS score and PSQI score in the study group were lower than those in the control group (both P<0.05). Serum levels of NPY, PGE2, SP and β-Endorphin were (298.5±31.0) ng/L, (92.3±11.0) μg/L, (156.8±21.4) ng/L, and (8.6±1.6) ng/L in the study group and (304.2±28.6) ng/L, (94.4±12.9) μg/L, (152.7±23.8) ng/L and (8.2±1.8) ng/L in the control group, with no significant differences (all P>0.05). After 4 weeks of treatment, levels of NPY, PGE2, SP and β-Endorphin were (240.7±26.8) ng/L, (74.4±8.6) μg/L, (108.9±15.7) ng/L and (4.4±0.9) ng/L, which were lower than those in the control group [(268.1±29.4) ng/L, (79.7±8.3) μg/L, (115.2±16.2) ng/L, (5.2±1.3) ng/L, respectively], with statistically significant differences (all P<0.05). After treatment, 29 cases were cured, 16 cases were markedly effective and 6 cases were effective in the study group, while 16 cases, 24 cases and 8 cases were cured, markedly effective and effective in the control group. The overall efficacy of patients in the study group was better than that in the control group (Z=-2.32, P=0.018). The incidence of adverse reactions in the study group and control group was 11.5% (6/52) and 7.8% (4/51), respectively, with no statistically significant difference (χ²=0.40, P=0.527). Conclusion: High-voltage pulse radiofrequency combined with pregabalin can significantly improve the pain and sleep quality of patients with severe thoracic PHN and reduce the level of pain factors, with a high safety profile.

Whole transcriptome analysis to explore the impaired immunological features in critically ill elderly patients with sepsis

BACKGROUND

Sepsis is a frequent complication in critically ill patients, is highly heterogeneous and is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates, especially in the elderly population. Utilizing RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) to analyze biological pathways is widely used in clinical and molecular genetic studies, but studies in elderly patients with sepsis are still lacking. Hence, we investigated the mortality-relevant biological features and transcriptomic features in elderly patients who were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) for sepsis.

METHODS

We enrolled 37 elderly patients with sepsis from the ICU at Taichung Veterans General Hospital. On day-1 and day-8, clinical and laboratory data, as well as blood samples, were collected for RNA-Seq analysis. We identified the dynamic transcriptome and enriched pathways of differentially expressed genes between day-8 and day-1 through DVID enrichment analysis and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis. Then, the diversity of the T cell repertoire was analyzed with MiXCR.

RESULTS

Overall, 37 patients had sepsis, and responders and non-responders were grouped through principal component analysis. Significantly higher SOFA scores at day-7, longer ventilator days, ICU lengths of stay and hospital mortality were found in the non-responder group, than in the responder group. On day-8 in elderly ICU patients with sepsis, genes related to innate immunity and inflammation, such as ZDHCC19, ALOX15, FCER1A, HDC, PRSS33, and PCSK9, were upregulated. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were enriched in the regulation of transcription, adaptive immune response, immunoglobulin production, negative regulation of transcription, and immune response. Moreover, there was a higher diversity of T-cell receptors on day-8 in the responder group, than on day-1, indicating that they had better regulated recovery from sepsis compared with the non-response patients.

CONCLUSION

Sepsis mortality and incidence were both high in elderly individuals. We identified mortality-relevant biological features and transcriptomic features with functional pathway and MiXCR analyses based on RNA-Seq data; and found that the responder group had upregulated innate immunity and increased T cell diversity; compared with the non-responder group. RNA-Seq may be able to offer additional complementary information for the accurate and early prediction of treatment outcome.

[Evaluation of uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic decortication in treatment of drug-resistant tuberculous empyema]

Objective: To examine the safety and efficacy of the uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic decortication in treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis empyema. Methods: From January 2018 to December 2020, 122 cases of tuberculous empyema treated by decortication in Department of Surgery, Wuhan Pulmonary Hospital were retrospectively analyzed, including 100 males and 22 females, aged(M(IQR)) 29.5(28.0) years (range: 13 to 70 years). According to the surgical approach and drug resistance, patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis who underwent uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic decortication were included in group A (n=22), and those who underwent thoracotomy decortication were included in group B (n=28). Drug-sensitive patients who underwent uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic decortication were included in group C (n=72). There was no statistical difference in the baseline data of the three groups (P>0.05). The operation, early postoperative recovery, and prognosis-related indicators were compared among three groups by Kruskal-Wallis test and χ² test by Mann-Whitney U test and Bonferroni method between groups A and B, groups A and C. Results: The intraoperative blood loss of group A, group B, and group C was 200(475) ml, 300(200) ml, and 225(300) ml, respectively. There was no significant difference in intraoperative hemorrhage (H=2.74, P=0.254) and treatment outcome (χ²=4.76, P=0.575) among the three groups. Compared with group B, the operation time of group A (302.5(187.5) minutes vs. 200.0(60.0) minutes, U=171.0, P=0.007) and postoperative pulmonary reexpansion duration (4.5(3.0) months vs. 3.0 (2.2) months, U=146.5, P=0.032) were longer, and the postoperative drainage duration (9.5(7.8) days vs. 13.0(10.0) days, U=410.0, P=0.044), and the postoperative hospitalization time (12.0(7.8) days vs. 14.5(4.8) days, U=462.2, P=0.020) were shorter. There was no significant difference in complications between group A and group B (63.6%(14/22) vs. 71.4%(20/28), χ²=0.34, P=0.558). Compared with group C, the postoperative drainage duration of group A (9.5(7.8) days vs. 7.0(4.0) days, U=543.5, P=0.031), the postoperative hospitalization time (12.0(7.8) days vs. 9.0(4.0) days, U=533.0, P=0.031) and postoperative pulmonary reexpansion duration (4.5(3.0) months vs. 3.0(2.0) months, U=961.5, P=0.001) were longer. The operation time (302.5(187.5) minutes vs. 242.5(188.8) minutes, U=670.5, P=0.278), and complications (63.6%(14/22) vs. 40.3%(29/72), χ²=3.70, P=0.054) were not different between group A and group C. Conclusions: For drug-resistant tuberculous empyema, the uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic decortication can achieve the same good therapeutic effect as drug-sensitive tuberculous empyema, and it is as safe as thoracotomy. At the same time, it has the advantage of minimally invasive and can accelerate the early postoperative recovery of patients.

Oculomotor impairments in de novo Parkinson’s disease

Objective

Reliable electrophysiological indicators are urgently needed in the precise evaluation of Parkinson’s disease (PD). It is still elusive whether oculomotor performance is impaired or has clinical value in early PD. This study aims to explore oculomotor performance in newly diagnosed, drug-naïve PD and its correlation with clinical phenotype.

Methods

Seventy-five patients with de novo PD, 75 patients with essential tremor (ET), and 46 gender-and age-matched healthy controls (HCs) were included in this cross-sectional study. All subjects underwent oculomotor test via videonystagmography. Visually guided saccade latency, saccadic accuracy and gain in smooth pursuit eye movement (SPEM) at three frequencies of the horizontal axis were compared among the three groups. Patients with PD also received detailed motor and non-motor evaluation by serial scales. The association between key oculomotor parameters and clinical phenotypes were explored in PD patients.

Results

Both de novo PD and ET patients showed prolonged saccadic latency and decreased saccadic accuracy relative to HCs. SPEM gain in PD was uniformly reduced at each frequency. SPEM gain at 0.4 Hz was also decreased in ET compared with HCs. However, there was no significant difference of oculomotor parameters between de novo PD and ET patients. Furthermore, prolonged saccadic latency was correlated with long disease duration, whereas decreased SPEM gain was associated with severe motor symptoms in de novo PD patients.

Conclusion

Ocular movements are impaired in de novo, drug naïve PD patients; these changes could be indicators for disease progression in PD.

Cross-linking methods of type I collagen-based scaffolds for cartilage tissue engineering

Cartilage defects are one of the hardest injures to cure, given the limited regenerative ability of cartilage tissues. Moreover, cartilage defects affect an increasing number of people worldwide. Therefore, scientists have attempted to develop effective strategies to repair cartilage defects in recent years. Recent advances in tissue engineering have led to the strategies for inducing cartilage regeneration. Among the emerging strategies, scaffolds are commonly used in cartilage tissue engineering (CTE) as they provide favorable environment for the growth and proliferation of chondrocytes. An ideal scaffolding material should be highly biocompatible. Type I collagen is one such material, which is widely used in CTE. However, type I collagen has poor mechanical properties and stability, which limit its use. Cross-linking is a simple method known to improve degradability, biological and mechanical properties of biomaterials by enhancing chemical and physical interactions between polymers. Cross-linking can be induced through chemical, physical or biological processes. In this review, we present cross-linking methods that can enhance the mechanical strength of type I collagen for CTE and highlight future directions in this field.

Using RNA-Seq to Investigate Immune-Metabolism Features in Immunocompromised Patients With Sepsis

Objective: Sepsis is life threatening and leads to complex inflammation in patients with immunocompromised conditions, such as cancer, and receiving immunosuppressants for autoimmune diseases and organ transplant recipients. Increasing evidence has shown that RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq) can be used to define subendotype in patients with sepsis; therefore, we aim to use RNA-Seq to identify transcriptomic features among immunocompromised patients with sepsis.

Methods: We enrolled patients who were admitted to medical intensive care units (ICUs) for sepsis at a tertiary referral centre in central Taiwan. Whole blood on day-1 and day-8 was obtained for RNA-Seq. We used Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) to identify the enriched pathway of day-8/day-1 differentially expressed genes and MiXCR to determine the diversity of T cell repertoire.

Results: A total of 18 immunocompromised subjects with sepsis and 18 sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score-matched immunocompetent control subjects were enrolled. The ventilator-day, ICU-stay, and hospital-day were similar between the two groups, whereas the hospital mortality was higher in immunocompromised patients than those in immunocompetent patients (50.0 vs. 5.6%, p < 0.01). We found that the top day-8/day-1 upregulated genes in the immunocompetent group were mainly innate immunity and inflammation relevant genes, namely, PRSS33, HDC, ALOX15, FCER1A, and OLR1, whereas a blunted day-8/day-1 dynamic transcriptome was found among immunocompromised patients with septic. Functional pathway analyses of day-8/day-1 differentially expressed genes identified the upregulated functional biogenesis and T cell-associated pathways in immunocompetent patients recovered from sepsis, whereas merely downregulated metabolism-associated pathways were found in immunocompromised patients with septic. Moreover, we used MiXCR to identify a higher diversity of T cell receptor (TCR) in immunocompetent patients both on day-1 and on day-8 than those in immunocompromised patients.

Conclusions: Using RNA-Seq, we found compromised T cell function, altered metabolic signalling, and decreased T cell diversity among immunocompromised patients with septic, and more mechanistic studies are warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanism.

ac4C acetylation of RUNX2 catalyzed by NAT10 spurs osteogenesis of BMSCs and prevents ovariectomy-induced bone loss

N-acetyltransferase 10 (NAT10) is the key enzyme for N4-acetylcytidine (ac4C) modification of mRNA, which participates in various cellular processes and is related to many diseases. Here, we explore the relationships among osteoblast differentiation, NAT10, and ac4C, and we found that NAT0 expression and the ac4C level of total RNA were decreased in the bone tissues of bilateral ovariectomized (OVX) mice and osteoporosis patients. Adenoviruses overexpressing NAT10 reversed bone loss, and Remodelin, an NAT10 inhibitor, enhanced the loss of bone mass in OVX mice. Moreover, bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) with low-level ac4C modification formed fewer calcium nodules in vitro with NAT10 silencing, whereas BMSCs with high-level ac4C modification formed more calcium nodules with NAT10 overexpression. Moreover, we demonstrated that the ac4C level of runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) mRNA was increased after BMSCs were cultured in osteogenic medium (OM) and decreased after NAT10 silencing. The RUNX2 mRNA half-life and protein expression decreased after silencing NAT10 in BMSCs. Therefore, NAT10-based ac4C modification promotes the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs by regulating the RUNX2 ac4C level. Because abnormal levels of NAT10 are probably one of the mechanisms responsible for osteoporosis, NAT10 is a new potential therapeutic target for this disease.

An investigation of conventional microbial culture for the Naja atra bite wound, and the comparison between culture-based 16S Sanger sequencing and 16S metagenomics of the snake oropharyngeal bacterial microbiota

Naja atra is a major venomous snake found in Taiwan. The bite of this snake causes extensive wound necrosis or necrotizing soft tissue infection. Conventional microbial culture-based techniques may fail to identify potential human pathogens and render antibiotics ineffective in the management of wound infection. Therefore, we evaluated 16S Sanger sequencing and next-generation sequencing (NGS) to identify bacterial species in the oropharynx of N. atra. Using conventional microbial culture methods and the VITEK 2 system, we isolated nine species from snakebite wounds. On the basis of the 16S Sanger sequencing of bacterial clones from agar plates, we identified 18 bacterial species in the oropharynx of N. atra, including Morganella morganii, Proteus vulgaris, and Proteus mirabilis, which were also present in the infected bite wound. Using NGS of 16S metagenomics, we uncovered more than 286 bacterial species in the oropharynx of N. atra. In addition, the bacterial species identified using 16S Sanger sequencing accounted for only 2% of those identified through NGS of 16S metagenomics. The bacterial microbiota of the oropharynx of N. atra were modeled better using NGS of 16S metagenomics compared to microbial culture-based techniques. Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Proteus penneri were also identified in the NGS of 16S metagenomics. Understanding the bacterial microbiota that are native to the oropharynx of N. atra, in addition to the bite wound, may have additional therapeutic implications regarding empiric antibiotic selection for managing N. atra bites.

Naja atra bites induce extensive wound necrotizing soft tissue infections in a substantial proportion of patients. Empiric antibiotic administration in snakebite patients is a common practice, but clinical reports indicate that this treatment was ineffective in preventing secondary infection given that the microbiota of the infected wound and oropharynx of the culprit snake were not properly established. In this study, only 9 species were detected in cobra bites using a conventional microbial culture method and the VITEK 2 system, whereas 18 species were detected in the cobra oropharynx using microbial culture-based 16S Sanger sequencing. Among these, Morganella morganii, Proteus vulgaris, and Proteus mirabilis were identified as common bacteria. Compared to microbial culture-based 16S Sanger sequencing, NGS-based 16S metagenomic sequencing detected more than 286 bacterial species. Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Proteus penneri only appeared with 16S metagenomic sequencing. These results suggest that NGS-based 16S metagenomic sequencing is a better tool for uncovering the bacterial microbiota of the N. atra oropharynx, which may help in developing a proper therapeutic strategy for patients with N. atra bites.

[Electrophysiological characteristics and therapeutic efficacy of radiofrequency ablation of focal atrial tachycardia originating from the right atrial appendage during pregnancy]

Objective: To analyze the electrophysiological characteristics and the therapeutic efficacy of irrigated-tip catheter radiofrequency ablation(RFA) without radiation for pregnant women with focal atrial tachycardia(AT) originating from the right atrial appendage (RAA). Methods: Data from 55 women with focal AT, who underwent radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from October 2016 to March 2019, were screened. 2 non-pregnant women with right atrial appendage tachycardia (RAAT) and 4 pregnant women with non-RAAT were excluded. The remaining 49 cases were divided into RAAT during pregnancy group (n=6, including 4 cases of tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy) and non-pregnant and non-RAAT group (control, n=43). Under the guidance of three-dimensional mapping system, the earliest activation site was identified, RFA with the irrigated catheter without x-ray fluoroscopy was performed in RAAT patients during pregnancy, all patients in control group underwent non-zero-ray ablation. Patients were followed up at 3, 6, 12 months post procedure, and yearly follow up thereafter in outpatient clinic. Electrocardiogram or Holter monitoring was performed during follow up. AT recurrence and surgical complications were recorded during follow up. At 6 months after RFA, echocardiography examination and laboratory examination including N-terminal B-type brain natriuretic peptide measurement were performed in the pregnant patients, delivery results were also recorded in the pregnant patients. The electrophysiological characteristics of RAAT during pregnancy were analyzed, the therapeutic efficacy of RFA was compared between the two groups. Results: This study is a retrospective study. Age ((30.7±6.2)years vs. (57.2±11.7)years), left ventricular ejection fraction ((46.0±12.8)% vs. (60.1±5.9)%), proportions of organic heart disease (0% vs. 58%) were significantly lower in the RAAT patients during pregnancy group than in control group (P<0.05), while proportions of patients with persistent tachycardia (100% vs. 7%), symptoms of chest distress and palpitation (6/6 vs. 49%) and left ventricular ejection farction≤50% (4/6 vs. 9%) were significantly higher in RAAT group than in control group (P<0.05), heart rate was similar between the two groups ((163.7±11.1)beats/minutes vs. (153.7±15.2)beats/minutes, P>0.05). The characteristic P-wave morphology was observed in RAAT patients during pregnancy, i.e, P wave was mostly upright (5/6) in inferior-leads (Ⅱ, Ⅲ, aVF) and in lead I and aVL, deep and wide negative P wave was found in V₁ lead (5/6), and gradually became positive from V₂-V₆. The mean tachycardia cycle length was (361.7±38.5) ms. Three-dimensional mapping showed that the origin points of the 6 RAAT pregnant patients were all scattered in the local region, the local region was ablated accordingly, 2 patients (2/6) received extensive ablation of local areas. Immediate successful rate was similar between the two groups (6/6 vs. 93%). During follow up ((15.3±4.0) months), no complications were observed after RFA, postoperative recurrence rate was similar (1/6 vs. 12%). Uncomplicated delivery was reported in all 6 pregnant RAAT post ablation. Normal cardiac structure and function was observed in the 4 pregnant patients with tachycardia-induced cardiomyopathy post ablation. Compared to pre-ablation phase, reduced left atrial dimension ((30.3±1.3) mm vs. (36.8±6.7) mm, P>0.05), increased left ventricular ejection fraction ((64.0±2.9)% vs. (39.8±10.7)%), reduced left ventricular end-diastolic dimension ((44.8±4.0) mm vs. (60.0±2.9) mm) and reduced N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide value ((136.2±47.5) ng/L vs. (3 408.4±901.3) ng/L) were observed at 6 months post ablation (P<0.05). Conclusion: The electrophysiological characteristics are suggestive for focal AT originating from RAA during pregnancy. Under the guidance of 3-dimension activation mapping, no fluoroscopic RFA with irrigated-tip catheter is a safe and effective strategy for the treatment of focal RAAT during pregnancy.

Experimental evidence for terahertz emission of continuum electrons in the dual-color laser field

Terahertz (THz) wave generation (TWG) in a dual-color laser is investigated with joint measurements between THz and third-harmonic generation, where the relative phase delay of dual-color fields is determined in situ in sub-wavelength accuracy, allowing for the clarification of the TWG mechanism in a direct comparison with various theoretical predictions. The delay- and polarization-dependent experiment validates that the continuum-continuum transition within the escaped electron wavepacket in the single atom gives birth to THz emission, while the bound energetic level does not contribute to TWG. TWG from atoms and molecules would provide an all-optical, vacuum-free, and ultrafast tool to record the spatiotemporal evolution of tunneling electron wavepackets.

[Risk-factor analysis of poor graft function after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for severe aplastic anemia]

目的

探讨重型再生障碍性贫血（SAA）患者行异基因造血干细胞移植（allo-HSCT）后发生植入功能不良（PGF）的危险因素。

方法

回顾性分析111例行allo-HSCT的SAA患者临床资料及移植情况，采用Cox比例风险模型对可能影响PGF的因素进行单因素及多因素分析。

结果

在111例行allo-HSCT的SAA患者中，共有16例发生了PGF（14.4%）。多因素分析结果显示，非血缘供者（HR＝2.656，95%CI 1.204～5.858，P＝0.016）及移植前血清铁蛋白浓度（SF）>1 000 µg/L（HR＝3.170，95%CI 1.400～7.180，P＝0.006）是发生PGF的独立危险因素。

结论

非血缘供者及移植前SF>1 000 µg/L的患者移植后容易发生PGF。

Ultrafast Mapping of Coherent Dynamics and Density Matrix Reconstruction in a Terahertz-Assisted Laser Field

A time-resolved spectroscopic protocol exploiting terahertz-assisted photoionization is proposed to reconstruct transient density matrix. Population and coherence elements are effectively mapped onto spectrally separated peaks in photoionization spectra. The beatings of coherence dynamics can be temporally resolved beyond the pulse duration, and the relative phase between involved states is directly readable from the oscillatory spectral distribution. As demonstrated by a photoexcited multilevel open quantum system, the method shows potential applications for subfemtosecond time-resolved measurements of coherent dynamics with free electron lasers and tabletop laser fields.

Laser frequency stabilization using a commercial wavelength meter

We present the characterization of a laser frequency stabilization scheme using a state-of-the-art wavelength meter based on solid Fizeau interferometers. For a frequency-doubled Ti-sapphire laser operated at 461 nm, an absolute Allan deviation below 10^-9 with a standard deviation of 1 MHz over 10 h is achieved. Using this laser for cooling and trapping of strontium atoms, the wavemeter scheme provides excellent stability in single-channel operation. Multi-channel operation with a multimode fiber switch results in fluctuations of the atomic fluorescence correlated to residual frequency excursions of the laser. The wavemeter-based frequency stabilization scheme can be applied to a wide range of atoms and molecules for laser spectroscopy, cooling, and trapping.

[The relationship between the radioresistance of pancreatic cancer cell SW1990 and the induction of the Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition: an in vitro study]

Objective: To investigate the relationship between the radioresistance of pancreatic cancer cell SW1990 and the induction of the Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT). Methods: The radio-resistant pancreatic cancer cell SW1990-R were established by using the method of radiating pancreatic cancer cell SW1990 step by step and repeatedly. Then the changes of the morphology of the cell was observed by inverted phase contrast microscope, the radioresistance of SW1990-R was detected by colony-forming assay, and the apoptosis rate of the two cell lines after radiation were measured by flow cytometry. Then invasiveness and EMT-related genes was measured by trans-well test and qRT-PCR. Finally, the model of transplanted tumor on nude mouse was used to confirm the relationship between the radioresistance of pancreatic cancer cell SW1990 and the induction of EMT. Results: Compared with SW1990, SW1990-R had a lower radiosensitivity (survival fraction in 2 Gy, SF₂: 0.326 3±0.007 3 vs 0.840 8±0.001 9, P<0.05) and lower apoptosis rate[(6.12±1.27) % vs (16.87±1.73)%, P<0.05]. Meanwhile, the invasive ability of SW1990-R were significant higher than that of SW1990 cell. According to the result of both in vivo and in vitro experiment, SW1990-R had a higher expression level of Vimentin and Snail, and lower expression level of E-cadherin when compared with SW1990. Conclusion: Compared with SW1990, the radio-resistant pancreatic cancer cell SW1990-R can induce the Epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

Post-processing phase-correction algorithm in two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy

In a typical two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy (2DES) experiment, the timing errors of the coherence and emission time when determining the absolute time zeros usually introduce extraneous spectral phase slopes and distort the 2D spectrum. In this work, a phase-correction method that merely relies on the data post-processing algorithm is proposed. The method allows reconstructing the spectrum by simply subtracting the artificial linear spectral-phase slopes from the phase component of the 2D spectrum along both coherence and emission frequency axes. The new method has the advantages of ease of implementation and no need for the supplementary experiments and iterative fitting algorithm as commonly-used phasing methods, which may improve the phasing issue in 2DES and serve as a cross-check of now available phasing methods.

Lanthanide contraction and chelating effect on a new family of lanthanide complexes with tetrakis(O-isopropyl)methyle-nediphosphonate: synthesis, structures and terahertz time-domain spectroscopy

Sixteen lanthanide–diphosphate complexes have been synthesized by the reaction of lanthanide chlorides and tetrakis(O-isopropyl)methylenediphosphonate ligand in the solvent of acetonitrile (with ethanol or DMF) at room temperature.

Anti-allergic potential of Typhonium blumei: Inhibition of degranulation via suppression of PI3K/PLCγ2 phosphorylation and calcium influx

BACKGROUND

Typhonium blumei Nicolson & Sivadasan (Araceae) is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb possessing detumescent, detoxifying, and anti-inflammatory activities. It is used in Taiwan as a folk medicine to treat cancer and inflammatory diseases. Typhonium blumei is usually not distinguished from Typhonium roxburghii Schott and they are commonly used interchangeably.

PURPOSE

To evaluate and compare the anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory properties of T. blumei and T. roxburghii, their composition profiles and molecular basis of the anti-allergic effect.

METHODS

The methanolic plant extracts were partitioned with different solvents to obtain the nonpolar fractions. The anti-allergic activity of the nonpolar fractions was assessed by A23187- and antigen-induced degranulation assays using RBL-2H3 mast cells. Several molecular targets were investigated: FcεRI receptor expression by flow cytometry, calcium influx by live cells imaging fluorescent microscopy, cytokines mRNA expression by RT-PCR, and protein expression by Western blotting. The anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated using superoxide anion and elastase release assays in human neutrophils. TLC, NMR and GC-MS analyses were conducted to evaluate the chemical composition of the fractions.

RESULTS

The nonpolar fractions of both Typhonium species showed potent inhibitory activity in A23187-induced degranulation assay in RBL-2H3 cells. They also inhibited superoxide production and elastase release in human neutrophils. T. blumei nonpolar fractions inhibited antigen-induced β-hexosaminidase and histamine release. The nonpolar fractions of T. blumei significantly inhibited calcium influx upon activation with either A23187 or an antigen. The fractions did not affect FcεRI receptor expression, mRNA level of IL-4 and MCP-1 cytokine production or MAPK proteins expression, but did suppress the calcium signaling pathway via PI3K/PLCγ2. The active fractions were rich in fatty acids with palmitic, linoleic and α-linolenic acids identified as the major fatty acids in both plants. The content of omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids was higher in T. roxburghii nonpolar fractions compared to T. blumei.

CONCLUSION

Both species possess potent anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory activities. The inhibition of degranulation in mast cells was attributed to calcium influx modulation. The obtained results support the traditional use of T. blumei in the treatment of inflammatory diseases as well as its substitution with T. roxburghii.

Precise phase determination with the built-in spectral interferometry in two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy

A new method determining the precise phase of pulse sequences in two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy (2DES) is proposed merely using the already built-in spectral interferometry. The approach is easily implemented without the supplementary instrumental construction, only at the expense of a few additional scanning and data-fitting processes. This method is executed with the sample in place, effectively avoiding the phase ambiguities of the beam propagation in samples, thus calibrating the absolute phase at the exact interaction region. The new proposed method is expected to improve the phasing procedure in 2DES in a more convenient way.

Variations of rhizosphere bacterial communities in tea (Camellia sinensis L.) continuous cropping soil by high-throughput pyrosequencing approach

AIMS

The goal was to investigate the dynamics of soil bacterial community in the chronosequence tea orchards.

METHOD AND RESULTS

In this study, soils from tea orchards with continuously cropping histories for 1, 10 and 20 years were collected for investigating rhizosphere bacterial communities using 454 pyrosequencing. The results indicated that Gammaproteobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, Acidobacteria and Actinobacteria were the main phyla in the tea orchard soils and accounted for more than 60% of the bacterial sequences. At the genus level, the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria, such as Pseudomonas, Rhodanobacter, Bradyrhizobium, Mycobacterium and Sphingomonas, significantly decreased in the 20-year tea orchard soils. Similar patterns of bacterial community structure were observed between 1-year and 10-year tea orchards, which significantly differed from those of 20-year tea orchards. Redundancy analysis indicated that soil organic carbon and pH showed high correlations (positive or negative) with the majority of the taxa.

CONCLUSION

Long-term tea cultivation altered the composition and structure of soil bacterial community, which led to the reduction in the beneficial bacteria.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

The results can provide clues on how to regulate the soil microbial community and maintain the health of soils in tea orchard systems.

Prechemotherapy neutrophil : lymphocyte ratio is superior to the platelet : lymphocyte ratio as a prognostic indicator for locally advanced esophageal squamous cell cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy

The study aimed to evaluate the prognostic significance of prechemotherapy neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and platelet to lymphocyte ratio, and preoperative neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and platelet to lymphocyte ratio in locally advanced esophageal squamous cell cancer. We analyzed retrospectively locally advanced esophageal squamous cell cancer patients who had received neoadjuvant chemotherapy before undergoing a radical esophagectomy between 2009 and 2012. Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and platelet to lymphocyte ratio before chemotherapy and before the surgery were calculated. Univariate analyses showed that prechemotherapy neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio >5 (P = 0.048, hazard ratio = 2.86; 95% confidence interval: 1.01-8.12) and prechemotherapy platelet to lymphocyte ratio >130 (P = 0.025, hazard ratio = 5.50; 95% confidence interval: 1.23-24.55) were associated significantly with overall survival (OS), and prechemotherapy platelet to lymphocyte ratio >130 (P = 0.026, hazard ratio = 3.18; 95% confidence interval: 1.15-8.85) was associated significantly with progression-free survival. However, only prechemotherapy neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio >5 (P = 0.024, hazard ratio = 3.50; 95% confidence interval: 1.18-10.40) remained significantly associated with OS in multivariate analyses. Neither preoperative neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio nor platelet to lymphocyte ratio was associated with OS or progression-free survival. The prechemotherapy neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio >5 to preoperative neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio ≤5 group showed significantly worse OS than the prechemotherapy neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio ≤5 to preoperative neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio ≤5 group (P = 0.050). The prechemotherapy platelet to lymphocyte ratio >130 to preoperative platelet to lymphocyte ratio ≤130 group (P = 0.016) and platelet to lymphocyte ratio >130 to preoperative platelet to lymphocyte ratio >130 group (P = 0.042) showed significantly worse OS than the prechemotherapy platelet to lymphocyte ratio ≤30 to preoperative platelet to lymphocyte ratio ≤130 group. In conclusions, prechemotherapy neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio is an independent prognostic factor for OS in patients with advanced esophageal squamous cell cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and, as an adverse prognostic predictor, increased prechemotherapy neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio is superior to platelet to lymphocyte ratio. Maintaining a low neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and platelet to lymphocyte ratio throughout treatment is a predictor of better OS.

Practical considerations in the clinical application of whole-exome sequencing

Despite the exciting advent of whole-exome sequencing (WES) in medical genetics practices, the optimal interpretation of results requires further actions such as reconsidering clinical information and obtaining further laboratory testing. There are no published data to guide clinicians in this process. In a retrospective study on 93 patients who underwent clinical WES, we set out to assess and resolve these practical challenges. With the laboratories reporting a molecular diagnostic rate of 25.8%, the medical geneticists and the laboratories were 90% concordant in their interpretation of the WES results. Divergence occurred when the medical geneticist reconsidered clinical information and/or additional information regarding pathogenicity of a variant. Variants of uncertain significance were reported in 86% of patients, with 53.7% needing follow-up, such as additional laboratory tests and genotyping of family members. By layering clinical data (e.g. mode of inheritance and phenotypic fit) on to the laboratory results, we developed clinical categories for the WES results. These categories of definite diagnosis (14/93), likely diagnosis (8/93), possible diagnosis (13/93) and no diagnosis (58/93) could be used to convey results to patients uniformly. Our framework for a clinically informed interpretation of the results enhances the utility of WES within medical genetics practices.

Multiple ionization and fragmentation dynamics of molecular iodine studied in IR-XUV pump-probe experiments

The ionization and fragmentation dynamics of iodine molecules (I(2)) are traced using very intense (∼10(14) W cm(-2)) ultra-short (∼60 fs) light pulses with 87 eV photons of the Free-electron LASer at Hamburg (FLASH) in combination with a synchronized femtosecond optical laser. Within a pump-probe scheme the IR pulse initiates a molecular fragmentation and then, after an adjustable time delay, the system is exposed to an intense FEL pulse. This way we follow the creation of highly-charged molecular fragments as a function of time, and probe the dynamics of multi-photon absorption during the transition from a molecule to individual atoms.

Propagation characteristics of a focused laser beam in a strontium barium niobate photorefractive crystal under reverse external electric field

The propagation characteristics of a focused laser beam in a SBN:75 photorefractive crystal strongly depend on the signal-to-background intensity ratio (R=I_s/I_b) under reverse external electric field. In the range 20>R>0.05, the laser beam shows enhanced self-defocusing behavior with increasing external electric field, while it shows self-focusing in the range 0.03>R>0.01. Spatial solitons are observed under a suitable reverse external electric field for R=0.025. A theoretical model is proposed to explain the experimental observations, which suggest a new type of soliton formation due to "enhancement" not "screening" of the external electrical field.

Electron rearrangement dynamics in dissociating I(2)^(n+) molecules accessed by extreme ultraviolet pump-probe experiments

The charge rearrangement in dissociating I_{2}^{n+} molecules is measured as a function of the internuclear distance R using extreme ultraviolet pulses delivered by the free-electron laser in Hamburg. Within an extreme ultraviolet pump-probe scheme, the first pulse initiates dissociation by multiply ionizing I_{2}, and the delayed probe pulse further ionizes one of the two fragments at a given time, thus triggering charge rearrangement at a well-defined R. The electron transfer between the fragments is monitored by analyzing the delay-dependent ion kinetic energies and charge states. The experimental results are in very good agreement with predictions of the classical over-the-barrier model demonstrating its validity in a thus far unexplored quasimolecular regime relevant for free-electron laser, plasma, and chemistry applications.

Crystal structure of bis(triphenylphospine-κP)(methanol-κO)(tetrafluoroborate-κF)silver(I), [Ag(PPh3)2(CH3OH)BF4], C37H34AgBF4OP2

C37H34AgBF4OP2, monoclinic, P21/n (no. 14), a = 13.748(1) Å, b = 12.757(1) Å, c = 19.716(2) Å, β = 92.657(1)°, V = 3454.1 Å3, Z = 4, Rgt(F) = 0.0361, wRref(F2) = 0.1018, T = 298 K.

Time-resolved measurement of interatomic coulombic decay in Ne2

The lifetime of interatomic Coulombic decay (ICD) [L. S. Cederbaum et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 79, 4778 (1997)] in Ne2 is determined via an extreme ultraviolet pump-probe experiment at the Free-Electron Laser in Hamburg. The pump pulse creates a 2s inner-shell vacancy in one of the two Ne atoms, whereupon the ionized dimer undergoes ICD resulting in a repulsive Ne+(2p(-1))-Ne+(2p(-1)) state, which is probed with a second pulse, removing a further electron. The yield of coincident Ne+-Ne2+ pairs is recorded as a function of the pump-probe delay, allowing us to deduce the ICD lifetime of the Ne2(+)(2s(-1)) state to be (150±50)  fs, in agreement with quantum calculations.

Crystal structure of a new polymorph of iodo-(benzthiazoline-2-thione- κS)-bis(triphenylphosphine-κP)copper(I), [CuI(C7H5NS2)(PPh3)2], C43H35CuINP2S2

C43H35CuINP2S2, triclinic, P1¯ (no. 2), a = 10.6136(8) Å, b = 12.406(1) Å, c = 16.729(1) Å, α = 96.807(1)°, β = 98.279(1)°, γ = 113.245(2)°, V = 1965.3 Å3, Z = 2, Rgt(F) = 0.0314, wRref(F2) = 0.0828, T = 298 K.

4,4′-Bipyridine-1,1′-diium bis(1,3-benzothiazole-2-thiolate)

In the title salt, C₁₀H₁₀N₂²⁺·2C₇H₄NS₂⁻, the complete 4,4′-bipyridine-1,1′-diium dication is generated by a center of symmetry. In the crystal, N—H⋯N hydrogen bonds are observed between the cations and anions.

3-Amino-1H-1,2,4-triazole-5(4H)-thione–4,4′-bipyridine (1/1)

The title two-component mol­ecular crystal, C₁₀H₈N₂·C₂H₄N₄S, was obtained unexpectedly by reaction of Zn(NO₃)₂·6H₂O, NH₄BF₄ with 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole-5-thione (3-AMT) and 4,4′-bipyridine in water. The dihedral angle between the pyridine rings in the 4,4′-bipyridine molecule is 17.00 (13)°. In the crystal, N—H⋯N and N—H⋯S hydrogen bonds between the components lead to the formation of a three-dimensional network. Furthermore, the structure features face-to-face π–π stacking inter­actions between the 4,4′-bipyridine and triazole rings, with a centroid–centroid distance of 2.976 (2) Å.

Iodido[5-methyl-1H-benzimidazole-2(3H)-thione-κS]bis-(triphenyl-phosphane-κP)copper(I) methanol monosolvate

In the title compound, [CuI(C(8)H(8)N(2)S)(C(18)H(15)P)(2)]·CH(3)OH, the coordination environment around the Cu(I) atom is distorted tetra-hedral, defined by two P atoms of two triphenyl-phosphane ligands, one S atom of a 5-methyl-1H-benzimidazole-2(3H)-thione ligand and one I atom. The complex mol-ecules and the methanol solvent mol-ecules are connected via N-H⋯O and O-H⋯I hydrogen bonds, forming a chain along [010]. An intra-molecular N-H⋯I hydrogen bond is also observed.

Poly[bis[μ-1,3-bis(diphenylphosphanyl)propane-κ2P:P′]-di-μ-thiocyanato-κ2S:N;κ2N:S-disilver(I)]

In the title coordination polymer, [Ag₂(NCS)₂(C₂₇H₂₆P₂)₂]_n, two centrosymmetrically related Ag⁺ cations are linked by two thio­cyanate anions into binuclear eight-membered macrocycles. The Ag⋯Ag separation within the macrocycle is 5.4400 (6) Å. The distorted tetra­hedral coordination about each metal atom is completed by the P atoms of two bridging 1,3-bis­(diphenyl­phosphan­yl)propane ligands, forming polymeric ribbons parallel to the a axis.

Accuracy of CT-guided biopsies in 158 patients with thoracic spinal lesions

BACKGROUND

Inconsistent accuracies of CT-guided thoracic spinal biopsies have been reported in previous studies.

PURPOSE

To determine the accuracy of CT-guided thoracic spinal biopsy, to compare the results with those previously reported, and to determine if there are any factors that influence the accuracy of CT-guided thoracic spinal biopsy.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

In total, 158 consecutive CT-guided percutaneous thoracic spine procedures (performed at the Department of Spinal Surgery, Xi'an Red Cross Hospital between April 2000 and July 2010) were reviewed. The 158 lesions were categorized by location and radiographic features. Pathological and clinical follow-up were used to determine accuracy.

RESULTS

The diagnostic accuracy of CT-guided thoracic spinal biopsy was 90.5% overall. Biopsy of metastatic bone disease (98.2%) was significantly more accurate than biopsies of primary tumors (80.9%) and of hematological malignancies (47.0%) (P < 0.05 and P < 0.005, respectively). The diagnostic accuracy of CT-guided thoracic spinal biopsy was significantly higher for the lower thoracic spine (97.6%) than for the middle (90.0%) or upper thoracic spine (80.4%) (P < 0.05 and P < 0.025, respectively). The diagnostic accuracy was significantly higher for lytic lesions (96.4%) than for sclerotic lesions (81.3%) (P < 0.010). The accuracy of biopsies performed using the transpedicular approach (91.0%) was not significantly different from that of biopsies performed using posterolateral approaches (91.5%) (0.25 < P < 0.5).

CONCLUSION

Percutaneous CT-guided thoracic spinal biopsy is a viable alternative to open surgical biopsy. The diagnostic accuracy was not affected by any of the variables except for lesion level, histology, and radiographic features.

Second-order autocorrelation of XUV FEL pulses via time resolved two-photon single ionization of He

Second-order autocorrelation spectra of XUV free-electron laser pulses from the Spring-8 Compact SASE Source (SCSS) have been recorded by time and momentum resolved detection of two-photon single ionization of He at 20.45 eV using a split-mirror delay-stage in combination with high-resolution recoil-ion momentum spectroscopy (COLTRIMS). From the autocorrelation trace we extract a coherence time of 8 ± 2 fs and a mean pulse duration of 28 ± 5 fs, much shorter than estimations based on electron bunch-length measurements. Simulations within the partial coherence model [Opt. Lett. 35, 3441 (2010)] are in agreement with experiment if a pulse-front tilt across the FEL beam diameter is taken into account that leads to a temporal shift of about 6 fs between both pulse replicas.

The role of serum basic fibroblast growth factor, estradiol and urine basic fibroblast growth factor in differentiating infantile haemangiomas from vascular malformations

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the role of serum basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), estradiol (E2) and urine bFGF in differentiating infantile haemangiomas from vascular malformations.

METHOD

Between October 2007 and January 2009, 97 patients with haemangiomas and 25 patients with vascular malformations who had not been treated previously were included in this prospective study. Forty-eight patients with cleft lip and/or palate were selected as controls. The age of all subjects ranged from 1 to 30 months. The serum and urine levels of bFGF were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The serum levels of E2 were examined via radioimmunoassay. All data were analysed with SPSS 11.5 software package.

RESULTS

The concentration of serum and urine bFGF was significantly different among the three groups (haemangiomas, vascular malformations and controls) (P = 0.027, P = 0.001). Significantly different urine bFGF levels were found in patients with proliferating and involuting haemangiomas (P = 0.04). The serum E2 levels were significantly higher in patients with haemangiomas than vascular malformations (P = 0.001) and controls (P = 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Serum bFGF and E2 as well as urine bFGF can be used to supplement the clinical diagnosis of congenital vascular anomalies. Urine bFGF combined with serum E2 may be the most potential markers for diagnosing haemangiomas and determining the proliferating stage of haemangiomas.

Ultrafast extreme ultraviolet induced isomerization of acetylene cations

Ultrafast isomerization of acetylene cations ([HC=CH](+)) in the low-lying excited A(2)Σ(g)(+) state, populated by the absorption of extreme ultraviolet (XUV) photons (38 eV), has been observed at the Free Electron Laser in Hamburg, (FLASH). Recording coincident fragments C(+) + CH2(+) as a function of time between XUV-pump and -probe pulses, generated by a split-mirror device, we find an isomerization time of 52±15 fs in a kinetic energy release (KER) window of 5.8<KER<8 eV, providing clear evidence for the existence of a fast, nonradiative decay channel.

Few-photon multiple ionization of N2 by extreme ultraviolet free-electron laser radiation

Few-photon multiple ionization of N2 was studied differentially in a reaction microscope using 44 eV, approximately 25 fs, intense ( approximately 10(13) W/cm(2)) photon pulses from FLASH. Sequential ionization is observed to dominate. For various intermediate charge states N(2)(n+0 we find a considerable excess of photons absorbed compared to the minimum number that would energetically be required. Photoionization of aligned N(2)(n+) ions, produced by photon absorption in sequential steps, is explored and few-photon absorption pathways are traced by inspecting kinetic energy releases and fragment-ion angular distributions.

An inexact multi-objective dynamic model and its application in China for the management of municipal solid waste

With the development of science and technology, solid waste management has become a serious environmental problem for most communities all over the world. This paper presents a multi-objective optimization model for the management of municipal solid waste (MSW) via an uncertainty approach. In this model, the system cost of solid waste management and the environmental impact are considered as the main objectives, and some necessary constraints based on the characteristics of China are included; additionally, Pollution loss theory is applied to evaluate the environmental impact. This model is applied to the City of Fo Shan, China. Compared with the primary project of Fo Shan, which is provided by the government, the results of the optimization procedure show that the overall system cost could be reduced by $1-2.4/ton, i.e., $3.7 million/yr. The model presented in this paper was proven to be an effective response to the multi-objective solid waste management problem, and provides a new technique to optimize MSW management and operation. Why is the optimization result better? By analyzing the modelling with respect to function, constraints, and results, we conclude that the profit would be augmented due to the amount of the waste that would be treated by recycling technology, which would increase rapidly during the planning time; thus, the total system cost could be reduced accordingly.

Recoil-ion momentum distributions for two-photon double ionization of He and Ne by 44 eV free-electron laser radiation

Recoil-ion momentum distributions for two-photon double ionization of He and Ne (variant Planck's over omega=44 eV) have been recorded with a reaction microscope at FLASH (the free-electron laser at Hamburg) at an intensity of approximately 1 x 10(14) W/cm2 exploring the dynamics of the two fundamental two-photon-two-electron reaction pathways, namely, sequential and direct (or nonsequential) absorption of the photons. We find strong differences in the recoil-ion momentum patterns for the two mechanisms pointing to the significantly different two-electron emission dynamics and thus provide serious constraints for theoretical models.