CYTOR-NFAT1 feedback loop regulates epithelial-mesenchymal transition of retinal pigment epithelial cells

Epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) occurring in retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPE) is a crucial mechanism that contributes to the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a pivotal factor leading to permanent vision impairment. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as critical regulators orchestrating EMT in RPE cells. In this study, we explored the function of the lncRNA CYTOR (cytoskeleton regulator RNA) in EMT of RPE cells and its underlying mechanisms. Through weighted correlation network analysis, we identified CYTOR as an EMT-related lncRNA associated with AMD. Experimental validation revealed that CYTOR orchestrates TGF-β1-induced EMT, as well as proliferation and migration of ARPE-19 cells. Further investigation demonstrated the involvement of CYTOR in regulating the WNT5A/NFAT1 pathway and NFAT1 intranuclear translocation in the ARPE-19 cell EMT model. Mechanistically, CHIP, EMSA and dual luciferase reporter assays confirmed NFAT1's direct binding to CYTOR's promoter, promoting transcription. Reciprocally, CYTOR overexpression promoted NFAT1 expression, while NFAT1 overexpression increased CYTOR transcription. These findings highlight a mutual promotion between CYTOR and NFAT1, forming a positive feedback loop that triggers the EMT phenotype in ARPE-19 cells. These discoveries provide valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms of EMT and its association with AMD, offering potential avenues for targeted therapies in EMT-related conditions, including AMD.

The role and mechanism of 5-HTDRN-BNST neural circuit in anxiety and fear lesions

Central 5-hydroxytryptaminergic dorsal raphe nucleus (5-HTDRN)-bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BNST) neural circuit dysfunction is one of the important neurobiological basis of anxiety and fear disorders. Under stress, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) neurons act on BNST receptors to attenuate anxiety and fear responses or enhance anxiety and fear. In BNST, corticotropin releasing factor neurons play a role in regulating emotions by reversely regulating excitatory or inhibitory 5-HT neurons. The composition of 5-HTDRN-BNST neural circuit, the pathological changes of 5-HTDRN-BNST neural circuit function damage under stress, and the effects of 5-HTDRN-BNST neural circuit on anxiety disorder, panic disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder were analyzed and are summarized in this paper. The characteristics of functional changes of the neural circuit and its effects on brain functional activities provide a basis and ideas for the treatment of anxiety and fear disorders through the regulation of 5-HTDRN-BNST neural circuit, and they also provide a new perspective for understanding the pathological mechanism of such diseases.

Predictive Analysis of Linoleic Acid in Red Meat Employing Advanced Ensemble Models of Bayesian and CNN-Bi-LSTM Decision Layer Fusion Based Hyperspectral Imaging

Rapid non-destructive testing technologies are effectively used to analyze and evaluate the linoleic acid content while processing fresh meat products. In current study, hyperspectral imaging (HSI) technology was combined with deep learning optimization algorithm to model and analyze the linoleic acid content in 252 mixed red meat samples. A comparative study was conducted by experimenting mixed sample data preprocessing methods and feature wavelength extraction methods depending on the distribution of linoleic acid content. Initially, convolutional neural network Bi-directional long short-term memory (CNN-Bi-LSTM) model was constructed to reduce the loss of the fully connected layer extracted feature information and optimize the prediction effect. In addition, the prediction process of overfitting phenomenon in the CNN-Bi-LSTM model was also targeted. The Bayesian-CNN-Bi-LSTM (Bayes-CNN-Bi-LSTM) model was proposed to improve the linoleic acid prediction in red meat through iterative optimization of Gaussian process acceleration function. Results showed that best preprocessing effect was achieved by using the detrending algorithm, while 11 feature wavelengths extracted by variable combination population analysis (VCPA) method effectively contained characteristic group information of linoleic acid. The Bi-directional LSTM (Bi-LSTM) model combined with the feature extraction data set of VCPA method predicted 0.860 Rp2 value of linoleic acid content in red meat. The CNN-Bi-LSTM model achieved an Rp2 of 0.889, and the optimized Bayes-CNN-Bi-LSTM model was constructed to achieve the best prediction with an Rp2 of 0.909. This study provided a reference for the rapid synchronous detection of mixed sample indicators, and a theoretical basis for the development of hyperspectral on-line detection equipment.

[Research and progress in etiology, prevention and treatment strategies of secondary caries]

Secondary caries is one of the main reasons that affect the service life of the restoration. Compared with primary caries, secondary caries have some particularities in etiology, disease progression, clinical manifestation, clinical diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Starting from the above aspects, combined with the latest basic and clinical research on secondary caries, this paper summarizes and analyzes its pathogenesis and prevention strategies, which will lay a certain foundation for in-depth understanding of secondary caries and promoting its clinical prevention and treatment.

Dynamic changes in the water and volatile compounds of chicken breast during the frying process

The influence of frying times (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 min) on the continuous changes in the water distribution and the concentrations of key volatile compounds in chicken breast during the frying process were studied. The fried chicken samples could be distinguished by PCA of E-nose and PLS-DA of GC-MS. A total of 40 volatile compounds were identified by GC-MS, and 28 compounds were verified to be the key compounds after further screening by OAVs. The T22 was increased first and then decreased, while the M22 and M23 in fried chicken were considerably decreased and increased with increasing frying time, respectively. The content of the water and the total peak area of LF-NMR in fried chicken samples during the frying process significantly decreased, and the water was transferred from high to low degrees of freedom. In addition, water content, T21, T22, M22 and L* value were positively correlated with most alcohols and aldehydes, and were negatively correlated with pyrazines, while a*, b*, M23 and all amino acids were positively correlated with pyrazines and were negatively correlated with most alcohols and aldehydes. The results may guide the production processes of fried chicken and help produce high-quality chicken products.

BatmanNet: bi-branch masked graph transformer autoencoder for molecular representation

Although substantial efforts have been made using graph neural networks (GNNs) for artificial intelligence (AI)-driven drug discovery, effective molecular representation learning remains an open challenge, especially in the case of insufficient labeled molecules. Recent studies suggest that big GNN models pre-trained by self-supervised learning on unlabeled datasets enable better transfer performance in downstream molecular property prediction tasks. However, the approaches in these studies require multiple complex self-supervised tasks and large-scale datasets , which are time-consuming, computationally expensive and difficult to pre-train end-to-end. Here, we design a simple yet effective self-supervised strategy to simultaneously learn local and global information about molecules, and further propose a novel bi-branch masked graph transformer autoencoder (BatmanNet) to learn molecular representations. BatmanNet features two tailored complementary and asymmetric graph autoencoders to reconstruct the missing nodes and edges, respectively, from a masked molecular graph. With this design, BatmanNet can effectively capture the underlying structure and semantic information of molecules, thus improving the performance of molecular representation. BatmanNet achieves state-of-the-art results for multiple drug discovery tasks, including molecular properties prediction, drug-drug interaction and drug-target interaction, on 13 benchmark datasets, demonstrating its great potential and superiority in molecular representation learning.

[Single hydrogen-methane breath test for the diagnosis of small intestinal bacterial growth]

Objective: To investigate the diagnostic value of a single hydrogen-methane breath test (SHMBT) for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). Method: The current investigation was a cross-sectional study. Questionnaires and SHMBTs were administered to 162 patients with gastrointestinal symptoms (case group) and 69 healthy volunteers (control group). Differences in SHMBT results between the two groups were assessed,and cut-off values of CH4 (methane) and H2 (hydrogen) were analyzed via receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Lastly,archived SHMBT data from 2 655 patients with gastrointestinal symptoms (validation set) were used to evaluate the diagnostic value of the SHMBT with respect to SIBO. The Chi-square test,the Mann-Whitney U test,Spearman's Rank correlation analysis,and the Z test were used for statistical analysis. Results: Based on the international recommended diagnostic criteria for SIBO,which are fasting CH4 ≥10 ppm (parts per million) or H2 ≥20 ppm,the SHMBT-positive rate in the case group was significantly higher than that of control group (35.2% vs. 21.7%, χ2=4.08, P=0.043). Levels of CH4 and H2 were higher in the case group than in the control group [CH4: 3(2,7) vs. 3(1,3) ppm, H2: 11(4,22) vs. 10(5,15) ppm],and the difference in CH4 levels was statistically significant (Z=6.22,P=0.001). ROC curves were generated based on whether the subjects had gastrointestinal symptoms. The areas under the ROC curves were 0.633 for CH4 alone,0.531 for H2 alone, and 0.620 for CH4 combined with H2. The cut-off values were fasting CH4≥4 ppm,fasting H2≥13 ppm,and fasting CH4 ≥5 ppm (or CH4≥4 ppm and H2≥24 ppm),respectively. Measuring CH4 alone and CH4 combined with H2 was effective for determining the presence of gastrointestinal symptoms (P<0.05). When CH4 alone or CH4 combined with H2 were used as diagnostic indicators of SIBO, the respective SHMBT-positive rates in the validation set were 34.2% and 30.4%. These rates did not significantly differ from the SIBO-positive rate of 32.0% obtained via the international recommended diagnostic criteria (P>0.05). The specificity of CH4 alone was 79.9%,and the accuracy of CH4 alone was 68.8%. The specificity of CH4 combined with H2 was 85.0%,and the accuracy of CH4 combined with H2 was 71.7%. Conclusion: Rapid one-time determination of CH4 and H2 in exhaled breath may a viable diagnostic method for SIBO, and using CH4 combined with H2 (i.e.,fasting CH4≥5 ppm, or CH4 ≥4 ppm and H2 ≥24 ppm) as cutoff values may be feasible.

Dynamic changes in the water distribution and key aroma compounds of roasted chicken during roasting

The effects of roasting times (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 14 min) on the dynamic changes of the water distribution and key aroma compounds in roasted chicken during the electric roasting process were studied. In total, 36 volatile compounds were further determined by GC-MS and 11 compounds, including 1-octen-3-ol, 1-heptanol, hexanal, decanal, (E)-2-octenal, acetic acid hexyl ester, nonanal, 2-pentylfuran, heptanal, (E, E)-2,4-decadienal and octanal, were confirmed as key aroma compounds. The relaxation time of T22 and T23 was increased first and then decreased, while the M22 and M23 in roasted chicken were decreased and increased with increasing roasting time, respectively. The fluidity of the water in the chicken during the roasting process was decreased, and the water with a high degree of freedom migrated to the water with a low degree of freedom. In addition, the L*, a*, b*, M23 and all amino acids were positively correlated with all the key aroma compounds, while T22, M22 and moisture content were negatively correlated with all the key aroma compounds.

Overcoming Intensity Saturation in Nonlinear Multiple-Quantum-Well Metasurfaces for High-Efficiency Frequency Upconversion

Engineered intersubband transitions in semiconductor heterostructures featuring multiple quantum wells (MQWs) are shown to support record-high second-order nonlinear susceptibilities. By integrating these materials in metasurfaces with tailored optical resonances, it is possible to further enhance photonic interactions, yielding giant nonlinear responses in ultrathin devices. These metasurfaces form a promising platform for efficient nonlinear processes, including frequency upconversion of low-intensity thermal infrared radiation and harmonic generation, free of phase-matching constraints intrinsic to bulk nonlinear crystals. However, nonlinear saturation at moderately large pump intensities due to the transfer of electron population into excited subbands facilitated by strongly enhanced light-matter interactions in metasurfaces fundamentally limits their overall efficiency for various nonlinear processes. Here, the saturation limits of nonlinear MQW-based metasurfaces for mid-infrared frequency upconversion are significantly extended by optimizing their designs for excitation with a strong pump coherently coupled with unpopulated upper electron subbands. This counterintuitive pumping scheme, combined with tailored material and photonic engineering of the metasurface, avoids saturation at practical levels of continuous-wave pump intensities, yielding significantly larger upconversion efficiencies than in conventional approaches. The present results open new opportunities for nonlinear metasurfaces, less limited by saturation mechanisms, with important implications for night-vision imaging and compact nonlinear wave mixing systems.

[Establishment of a prognostic model for non-nephrotic membranous nephropathy based on unbalanced data]

Objective: To explore the construction of a machine learning model based on unbalanced data to predict the progression of non-nephrotic membranous nephropathy. Methods: The clinical and pathological data of patients diagnosed with non-nephrotic membranous nephropathy by renal biopsy in Shanxi People's Hospital from January 2018 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed.The prediction models were constructed based on logistic regression, support vector machine (SVM) and light gradient boosting machine (lightGBM), respectively. The mixed sampling technology was used to process the unbalanced data, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the predictive performance of the models. Finally, Shapley additive explanation (SHAP) was used to interpret the results of the optimal prediction model. Results: A total of 148 patients were included in the study, including 84 males and 64 females, with a mean age of (47.2±12.5) years. The follow-up time [M(Q₁, Q₃)] was 14(7, 20) months. Twenty-three patients (15.5%) achieved the renal end-point event in the study. The SVM model had the highest AUC (0.868, 95%CI: 0.813-0.925), followed by logistic regression (AUC=0.865, 95%CI: 0.755-0.899) and lightGBM (AUC=0.791, 95%CI: 0.690-0.882). The feature recursive elimination cross validation (RFECV) method based on random forest (RF) and the SHAP plot based on the SVM model showed that immunohistochemistry IgG, total protein (TP), anti-phospholipase A2 receptor (anti-PLA2R), blood chloride and D-Dimer were risk factors affecting the progress of non-nephrotic membranous nephropathy. Moreover, patients with high immunohistochemistry IgG, anti-PLA2R and D-Dimer had an increased risk of achieving the renal end-point event. Conclusion: The SVM model established in this study can effectively predict the progress of non-nephrotic membranous nephropathy, and provide a new method for the early identification of high-risk patients and precision therapy.

[Prevalence and related factors of visual disability, hearing disability and comorbidity of visual and hearing disability among the elderly in China]

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of visual disability, hearing disability and comorbidity of visual and hearing disability among the elderly in China, and explore the related factors of comorbidity of visual and hearing disability in the elderly. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. Based on the Second China National Sample Survey on Disability in 2006, the data of the elderly with visual and hearing disability were extracted and combined for descriptive analysis. Meanwhile, multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the related factors of comorbidity of visual and hearing disability among the elderly. Results: A total of 250 752 cases were in the final analysis (119 120 males and 131 632 females), and there were 164 003, 74 156 and 12 593 cases with the age of 65-<75, 75-<85 and ≥ 85 years, respectively. The prevalence of visual disability and hearing disability of the elderly in China was 8.10% (95%CI: 8.00%-8.21%), 13.41% (95%CI: 13.29%-13.54%), respectively, while the prevalence of comorbidity of visual and hearing disability was 1.97% (95%CI: 1.92%-2.02%). The severity of disability of the elderly with comorbidity of visual and hearing disability was higher, and the percentage of mild disabilities (18.31%, 966/5 277) was lower than those with visual (53.06%, 11 208/21 123) or hearing disabilities (32.96%, 11 536/34 995). Moreover, 19.40% (1 024/5 277) of visual or hearing disability occurred in the same year. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that education level below primary school (OR=0.65, 95%CI: 0.61-0.70, P<0.001), having a spouse (OR=0.68, 95%CI: 0.64-0.72, P<0.001), living in an urban area (OR=0.77, 95%CI: 0.71-0.82, P<0.001) and having a per capita household income higher than the national average (OR=0.73, 95%CI: 0.68-0.78, P<0.001) were protective factors for comorbidity of visual and hearing disability among the elderly. Conclusions: Visual disability is correlated with hearing disability in the elderly. Attention should be paid to the prevention and control of associated disabilities such as visual and hearing co-disabilities in the elderly population, with emphasis on strengthening publicity and education on prevention and control of visual and hearing disabilities for the elderly who are economically disadvantaged, have no spouse and live in remote areas.

[Association study of serum LncRNA MALAT1 and SAA with type 2 diabetic kidney disease]

To investigate the correlation of serum long noncoding RNA-metastasis associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1(LncRNA MALAT1) and serum amyloid A(SAA) with diabetic kidney disease. Retrospective research was used, and 40 patients with type 2 diabetes and 80 patients with type 2 diabetic kidney disease patients who were treated in Tianjin Medical University Chu Hsien-I Memorial Hospital from August 2021 to February 2022 were selected, and 40 healthy subjects were selected during the same period. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) was used to detect serum LncRNA MALAT1. SAA were detected with enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Automatic biochemistry analyzer was used to detect serum creatinine (CREA) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C),automatic blood glucose analyzer to detect serum fasting plasma glucose (FPG), automatic glycated hemoglobin analyzer to detect hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c), and automatic immunoassay analyzer to detect urinary albumin to creatinine ratio(UACR). Differences between groups were compared by t test and analysis of variance. Pearson analysis was used to analyze the correlation between MALAT1, SAA and other indicators. Receiver operating characteristic curve(ROC) was used to evaluate the auxiliary diagnostic value of MALAT1 and SAA for diabetic kidney disease. The results showed that MALAT1 and SAA in the diabetic kidney disease with mass albuminuria group were higher than those in the type 2 diabetes mellitus group (q=8.57, P<0.01; q=11.09, P<0.01) and the diabetic kidney disease with microalbuminuria group (q=3.96, P<0.05; q=7.85, P<0.01). MALAT1 had a high correlation with UACR, CREA, SAA, HbA1c and FPG (r value was 0.706, 0.643, 0.578, 0.553, and 0.524, all P<0.01), and SAA had a high correlation with UACR, HbA1c and FPG (r value was 0.664, 0.617, and 0.595, all P<0.01). ROC curve analysis of the diagnostic value of LncRNA MALAT1 and protein SAA for diabetic kidney disease showed that the areas under curve (AUC) were 0.741 and 0.744, respectively. The combined diagnostic value of the two was the greatest (AUC=0.801). In summary, MALAT1 and SAA were elevated in the serum of patients with type 2 diabetes. Their concentrations in the serum of group with diabetic kidney disease were higher than that in the type 2 diabetes group, and the serum concentrations of MALAT1 and SAA in group with mass albuminuria are higher than the group with microalbuminuria. MALAT1 and SAA were both closely related to UACR and HbA1c, and there is a correlation between them. Both of them may have ancillary diagnostic value for diabetic kidney disease.

["Identifying forms and verifying quality" in materia medica]

The thinking of "identifying forms and verifying quality'' in materia medica research came from the theory of "treatment based on syndrome differentiation" in traditional Chinese medicine. It refers to an approach to evaluate the quality of materia medica based on their characteristics and external properties in order to clarify the nature of medicinal materials. This paper examined the historical development of "identifying forms and verifying quality'' from the pre-Qin Dynasty up to today and analysed the connotation of this thinking. It is believed that this thinking has advantages such as scientific, holistic, practical, and universal considerations. However, it still needs to be developed in terms of philosophical thinking and practical application.

[Effect of sedation on resting energy expenditure in patients with extremely severe burns and the choice of energy estimation formula]

Objective: To investigate the effect of sedation on resting energy expenditure (REE) in patients with extremely severe burns and the choice of REE estimation formula during the treatment. Methods: A retrospective non-randomized controlled clinical study was conducted. From April 2020 to April 2022, 21 patients with extremely severe burns who met the inclusion criteria and underwent mechanical ventilation treatment were admitted to the Department of Burn and Wound Repair of Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, including 16 males and 5 females, aged 60 (50, 69) years. Early anti-shock therapy, debridement, skin transplantation, nutritional support, and other conventional treatments were applied to all patients. Patients were sedated when they had obvious agitation or a tendency to extubate, which might lead to aggravation of the disease. REE measurement was performed on patients using indirect calorimetry on post-injury day 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 14 and every 7 days thereafter until the patient died or being successfully weaned from ventilator. Totally 99 times of measurements were carried out, of which 58 times were measured in the sedated state of patients, and 41 times were measured in the non-sedated state of patients. The age, weight, body surface area, residual wound area, post-injury days of patients were recorded on the day when REE was measured (hereinafter briefly referred to as the measurement day). The REE on the measurement day was calculated with intensive care unit conventional REE estimation formula Thumb formula and special REE estimation formulas for burns including the Third Military Medical University formula, the Peng Xi team's linear formula, Hangang formula. The differences between the sedated state and the non-sedated state in the clinical materials, measured and formula calculated values of REE of patients on the measurement day were compared by Mann-Whitney U test and independent sample t test. The differences between the REE formula calculated values and the REE measured value (reflecting the overall consistency) in the sedated state were compared by Wilcoxon signed rank-sum test. The Bland-Altman method was used to assess the individual consistency between the REE formula calculated value and the REE measured value in the sedated state, and to calculate the proportion of the REE formula calculated value within the range of ±10% of the REE measured value (hereinafter referred to as the accuracy rate). Root mean square error (RMSE) was used to evaluate the accuracy of the REE formula calculated value relative to the REE measured value. Results: Compared with those in the non-sedated state, there was no statistically significant change in patient's age or post-injury days on the measurement day in the sedated state (P>0.05), but the weight was heavier (Z=-3.58, P<0.01), and both the body surface area and the residual wound area were larger (with Z values of -2.99 and -4.52, respectively, P<0.01). Between the sedated state and the non-sedated state, the REE measured values of patients were similar (P>0.05). Compared with those in the non-sedated state, the REE values of patients calculated by Thumb formula, the Third Military Medical University formula, the Peng Xi team's linear formula, and Hangang formula on the measurement day in the sedated state were significantly increased (with Z values of -3.58 and -5.70, t values of -3.58 and -2.74, respectively, P<0.01). In the sedated state, compared with the REE measured value, there were statistically significant changes in REE values of patients calculated by Thumb formula, the Third Military Medical University formula, and Hangang formula on the measurement day (with Z values of -2.13, -5.67, and -3.09, respectively, P<0.05 or P<0.01), while the REE value of patients calculated by the Peng Xi team's linear formula on the measurement day did not change significantly(P>0.05). The analysis of the Bland-Altman method showed that in the sedated state, compared with the REE measured value, the individual consistency of the calculated value of each formula was good; Thumb formula and Hangang formula significantly underestimated the patients' REE value (with the average value of the difference between the formula calculated value and the measured value of -1 463 and -1 717 kJ/d, the 95% confidence interval of -2 491 to -434 and -2 744 to -687 kJ/d, respectively), but the individual differences were small; the Third Military Medical University formula significantly overestimated the patients' REE value (with the average value of the difference between the formula calculated value and the measured value of 3 530 kJ/d, the 95% confidence interval of 2 521 to 4 539 kJ/d), but the individual difference was small; the Peng Xi team's linear formula did not significantly overestimate the patients' REE value (with the average value of the difference between the formula calculated value and the measured value of 294 kJ/d, the 95% confidence interval of -907 to 1 496 kJ/d), while the difference standard deviation was 4 568 kJ/d, which showed a large individual difference. In the sedated state, relative to the REE measured value, the accuracy rates of REE values calculated by Thumb formula, the Third Military Medical University formula, the Peng Xi team's linear formula, and Hangang formula were 25.9% (15/58), 15.5% (9/58), 10.3% (6/58), and 15.5% (9/58), respectively, and RMSE values were 4 143.6, 5 189.1, 4 538.6, and 4 239.8 kJ/d, respectively. Conclusions: Sedative therapy leads to a significant decrease in REE in patients with extremely severe burns undergoing mechanical ventilation treatment. When REE cannot be regularly monitored by indirect calorimetry to determine nutritional support regimens, patients with extremely severe burns undergoing sedation may be prioritized to estimate REE using Thumb formula.

[The concept of traditional chinese medicine:history, theory and empirical research]

The concept of traditional Chinese medicine has different connotations and extensions in different historical periods. This paper examines the formation and development of the concept of traditional Chinese medicine in the perspective of history, theory and empirical research, and explores the internal connection among different medical systems and between medicine and other disciplines. It attempts to re-define the connotation and extension of the concept of traditional Chinese medicine in the context of the new era, provide references for building the medical community of the Chinese nation and promote the standardization of Chinese medicine terminology, advance the cross-disciplinary construction and establishing a new medical system with the characteristics of openness and tolerance, in order to provide the solution, wisdom and power of traditional Chinese medicine for global health in the process of building a community of human health.

Effect of Traditional Stir-Frying on the Characteristics and Quality of Mutton Sao Zi

The effects of stir-frying stage and time on the formation of Maillard reaction products (MRP) and potentially hazardous substances with time in stir-fried mutton sao zi were investigated. Furosine, fluorescence intensity, Nε-(1-carboxymethyl)-L-lysine (CML), Nε-(1-carboxyethyl)-L-lysine (CEL), polyaromatic hydrocarbons PAHs), heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs), and acrylamides (AA) mainly presented were of stir-fried mutton sao zi. The furosine decreased after mixed stir-frying (MSF) 160 s due to its degradation as the Maillard reaction (MR) progressed. The fluorescent compound gradually increased with time during the stir-frying process. The CML and CEL peaked in MSF at 200 s. AA reached its maximum at MSF 120 s and then decreased. All the 5 HAAs were detected after MSF 200 s, suggesting that stir-frying mutton sao zi was at its best before MSF for 200 s. When stir-frying exceeded the optimal processing time of (MSF 160 s) 200 s, the benzo[a]pyrene peaked at 0.82 μg/kg, far lower than the maximum permissible value specified by the Commission of the European Communities. Extended stir-frying promoted MRP and some hazardous substances, but the content of potentially hazardous substances was still within the safety range for food.

[Relationship of C1QA level and therapeutic effect and prognosis of DLBCL patients treated with R-CHOP]

Objective: To investigate the relationship between plasma levels of complements before treatment and the clinicopathological feathers and prognoses of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients treated with Rituximab (R)-CHOP or R-CHOP-like therapy. Methods: The clinicopathological data of 105 DLBCL patients treated in cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from 2010 to 2016 were collected. The plasma samples from 105 DLBCL patients treated with R-CHOP or R-CHOP-like therapy and 80 healthy controls were used to detect 34 complement levels before treatment by utilizing antibody microarray. The relationship between plasma levels of complements and the clinicopathological feathers and prognosis of DLBCL patients were analyzed. Results: The signal values of C1QA and CR1L in patients with international prognostic index (IPI) scores of 3-5 were 1 261.43±138.9 and 2 214.69±98.58, respectively, higher than 950.79±80.19 and 984.67±121.79 in patients with IPI scores of 0~2 (both P<0.05). The levels of C1QA and CR1L in the non-complete response (CR) group were 1 165.43±98.56 and 2 263.13±145.63, respectively, higher than 914.70±100.77 and 1 821.34±84.68 in the CR group (both P<0.05). Cox regression analysis showed that elevated C1QA signal value was associated with poor progression-free survival (PFS) and poor overall survival (OS) (PFS: HR=2.063, 95%CI: 1.220-3.489, P=0.007; OS: HR=2.23, 95%CI: 1.036~4.798, P=0.040). After IPI correction by Cox multivariate model, the elevated C1QA signal value was still correlated with poor PFS (HR=1.765, 95%CI 1.034~3.013, P=0.037). Conclusions: The baseline plasma levels of C1QA and CR1L are correlated with IPI scores and therapeutic effects of DLBCL patients treated with R-CHOP. The baseline plasma level of C1QA has a certain predictive value for the prognostic evaluation of DLBCL.

[Application of deep convolutional neural networks in the diagnosis of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma based on narrow band imaging endoscopy]

Objective: To explore the possibility of using artificial intelligence (AI) technology based on convolutional neural network (CNN) to assist the clinical diagnosis of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) through deep learning algorithm. Methods: A deep CNN was developed and applied in narrow band imaging (NBI) endoscopy of 4 799 patients with laryngeal lesions, including 3 168 males and 1 631 females, aged from 21 to 87 years, from 2015 to 2017 in Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University. A simple randomization method was used to select the laryngeal NBI images of 2 427 patients (1 388 benign lesions and 1 039 LSCC lesions) for the training and correction the CNN model. The remaining laryngeal NBI images of 2 372 patients (including 1 276 benign lesions and 1 096 LSCC lesions) were used as validation data set to compare performance between CNN and otolaryngologists. SPSS 21.0 software was used for Chi-square test to calculate the accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of AI and otolaryngologists. The area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating curve (ROC) was used to evaluate the diagnostic ability of the algorithm for NBI images. Results: The accuracy, sensitivity and specificity for NBI predictions were respectively 90.91% (AUC=0.96), 90.12% and 91.53%, which were equivalent to those for otolaryngologists' predictions (accuracy, sensitivity and specificity were (91.93±3.20)%, (91.33±3.25)% and (93.02±2.59)%, t values were 0.64, 0.75 and 1.17, and P values were 0.32, 0.28 and 0.21, respectively). The diagnostic efficiency of CNN was significantly higher than that of otolaryngologists (0.01 vs. 5.50, t =9.15, P<0.001). Conclusion: AI based on deep CNN is effective for using in the laryngeal NBI image diagnosis, showing a good application prospect in the diagnosis of LSCC.

[A case of Hemolytic anemia caused by subacute lead poisoning]

Lead poisoning is characterized by nervous, digestive and blood system damage, such as neurasthenia, abdominal pain, abdominal distension, jaundice, small cell hypochromic anemia and so on. A case of severe hemolytic anemia caused by subacute lead poisoning was treated in Beijing Chaoyang Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University. The main symptoms of the patient were abdominal colic, constipation and hemolytic anemia.

Effect of H2SiF6 modification of IM-5 on catalytic performance in benzene alkylation with ethylene

IM-5 zeolite modified by H₂SiF₆ has superior activity, equivalent stability, higher DEB selectivity and a lower xylene selectivity in comparison of ZSM-5 with similar Si/Al₂ ratio. The process provides a new way to make ethylbenzene in the vapor phase.

Characterization of flavor volatile compounds in industrial stir-frying mutton sao zi by GC-MS, E-nose, and physicochemical analysis

This study aims to investigate the flavor changes of industrial stir-frying mutton sao zi, a mutton product popular in the northwest of China, at different stir-frying stages. Electronic nose (E-nose) was used to recognize mutton sao zi odors at different processing time points, and the individual volatile compounds were further identified by the solid-phase microextraction (SPME) combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A total of 105 volatile compounds were detected by GC-MS, of which 51 were major volatile compounds. Additionally, GC-MS and E-nose data of the samples were also correlated with the fatty acids, crude composition (moisture, fat, protein), and amino acids. The stir-frying time and temperature may be the critical contributors to different flavors of industrial stir-frying mutton sao zi. The signal intensities of W1S, W1W, W2S, W2W, and W3S sensors positively correlate with protein, fat, and 18 amino acids, but negatively with SFA and moisture. Hence, this study explored the flavor changes of industrial stir-frying mutton sao zi by E-nose and SPME-GC-MS for the first time, providing an insight into the industrial production and flavor control stir-frying machine of stir-frying mutton products with household flavor.

[The status and related factors of myopia for children and adolescents aged 5-18 years old in Shaanxi Province in 2018]

In 2018, the myopia detection rate of children and adolescents aged 5-18 years old in Shaanxi Province was 54.9% (11 060/20 144). The myopia detection rate of girls ［58.6%(5 830/9 949)］ was higher than that of boys ［58.6% (3 416/5 830)］ (P<0.001). In children and adolescents, the myopia detection rate increased with the age before their 16 years old, and saw a stable or downward trend after the age of 16. After adjusting the confounding factors, the myopia detection rate of children and adolescents from regions with per capita GDP>100 000 yuan was higherthan that of children and adolescents from regions with per capita GDP<50 000 yuan［OR (95%CI):1.58(1.34-1.87)］.

[Retracted: Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of 34 children with 2019 novel coronavirus infection in Shenzhen]

Objective: To describe the characteristics of clinical manifestations and epidemiology of children with 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infection. Methods: All 34 children with laboratory-confirmed 2019-nCoV infection by quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR through nasopharyngeal swab specimens were admitted to the Third People's Hospital of Shenzhen from January 19 to Febuary 7, 2020. Clinical data and epidemiological history of these patients were retrospectively collected and analyzed. Results: Among the 34 cases, 14 were males, and 20 were females. The median age was 8 years and 11 months. No patients had underlying diseases. There were 28 children (82%) related with a family cluster outbreak. There were 26 children (76%) with a travel or residence history in Hubei Province. These patients could be categorized into different clinical types, including 22 (65%) common cases, 9 (26%) mild cases and 3 (8.8%) asymptomatic cases. No severe or critical cases were identified. The most common symptoms were fever (17 cases, 50%) and cough (13 cases, 38% ). In the 34 cases, the white blood cell counts of 28 cases (82%) were normal. Five cases had white blood cell counts more than 10×10(9)/L. One case had white blood cell counts less than 4×10(9)/L. Neutropenia and lymphopenia was found in one case, respectively. C-reactive protein levels and erythrocyte sedimentation rates were elevated in 1 and 5 case, respectively. Elevated procalcitonin was found in 1 case and D-Dimer in 3 cases. The levels of lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) were more than 400 U/L in 10 cases. The CT images of these patients showed bilateral multiple patchy or nodular ground-glass opacities and/or infiltrating shadows in middle and outer zone of the lung or under the pleura. Twenty patients were treated with lopinavir and ritonavir. Glucocorticoids and immunoglobulin were not used in any cases. All the cases improved and were discharged from hospital. Further following up was need. Conclusions: The clinical manifestations in children with 2019-nCoV infection are non-specific and are milder than that in adults. Chest CT scanning is heplful for early diagnosis. Children's infection is mainly caused by family cluster outbreak and imported cases. Family daily prevention is the main way to prevent 2019-nCoV infection.

[Retracted: Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of 34 children with 2019 novel coronavirus infection in Shenzhen]

Objective: To describe the characteristics of clinical manifestations and epidemiology of children with 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infection. Methods: All 34 children with laboratory-confirmed 2019-nCoV infection by quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR through nasopharyngeal swab specimens were admitted to the Third People's Hospital of Shenzhen from January 19 to Febuary 7, 2020. Clinical data and epidemiological history of these patients were retrospectively collected and analyzed. Results: Among the 34 cases, 14 were males, and 20 were females. The median age was 8 years and 11 months. No patients had underlying diseases. There were 28 children (82%) related with a family cluster outbreak. There were 26 children (76%) with a travel or residence history in Hubei Province. These patients could be categorized into different clinical types, including 22 (65%) common cases, 9 (26%) mild cases and 3 (8.8%) asymptomatic cases. No severe or critical cases were identified. The most common symptoms were fever (17 cases, 50%) and cough (13 cases, 38% ). In the 34 cases, the white blood cell counts of 28 cases (82%) were normal. Five cases had white blood cell counts more than 10×10(9)/L. One case had white blood cell counts less than 4×10(9)/L. Neutropenia and lymphopenia was found in one case, respectively. C-reactive protein levels and erythrocyte sedimentation rates were elevated in 1 and 5 case, respectively. Elevated procalcitonin was found in 1 case and D-Dimer in 3 cases. The levels of lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) were more than 400 U/L in 10 cases. The CT images of these patients showed bilateral multiple patchy or nodular ground-glass opacities and/or infiltrating shadows in middle and outer zone of the lung or under the pleura. Twenty patients were treated with lopinavir and ritonavir. Glucocorticoids and immunoglobulin were not used in any cases. All the cases improved and were discharged from hospital. Further following up was need. Conclusions: The clinical manifestations in children with 2019-nCoV infection are non-specific and are milder than that in adults. Chest CT scanning is heplful for early diagnosis. Children's infection is mainly caused by family cluster outbreak and imported cases. Family daily prevention is the main way to prevent 2019-nCoV infection.

CA19-9 decrease and survival according to platelet level in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer

Background

CA19–9 decrease during treatment has been associated with superior survival of pancreatic cancer in several studies. The evidence to show the correlation of high platelet level with inferior survival is insufficient in pancreatic cancer. It also remains unclear whether the association between CA19–9 decrease and survival was corresponded to different levels of platelet in metastatic pancreatic cancer.

Methods

We measured CA19–9 serum concentration and platelet level at baseline and after the second cycle of chemotherapy for 200 advanced pancreatic cancer patients. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to compute mortality hazard ratios (HRs) for CA19–9 decrease, adjusting for potential confounders, including age, sex, KPS, prediagnosis body mass index, Diabetes Mellitus, tumor location, first-line chemotherapy regimen, and radiotherapy.

Results

We found that the association of CA19–9 decrease with superior overall survival was stronger in advanced pancreatic cancer with a low level of platelet (P_interaction <  0.001) compared with intermediate and high level of platelet. Multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios per unit decrease of CA19–9 change was 0.45 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.33 to 0.62] in cases with low platelet level, 0.74 (95% CI, 0.50 to 1.09) in cases with intermediate platelet level, and 0.94 (95% CI, 0.74 to 1.10) in cases with high platelet level. A similar differential association was found between CA19–9 decrease and progression-free survival in strata of platelet level (P_interaction = 0.034).

Conclusion

The association of CA19–9 decrease with superior pancreatic cancer survival appeared to be pronounced in patients with a low platelet level. This finding could provide supports for the underlying mechanisms of CA19–9 involved in platelet / tumor cell interaction.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12885-019-6078-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Retraction Note: Diagnostic and prognostic value of plasma microRNA-195 in patients with non-small cell lung cancer

This article [1] is retracted at the request of Editor-in-Chief due to overlap with articles [2-5].None of the authors have responded to any correspondence from the editor or publisher about this retraction.

Frequency-Modulated Combs Obey a Variational Principle

Laser dynamics encompasses universal phenomena that can be encountered in many areas of physics, such as bifurcation and chaos, mode competition, resonant nonlinearities, and synchronization-or locking-of oscillators. When a locking process occurs in a multimode laser, an optical frequency comb is produced, which is an optical spectrum consisting of equidistant modes with a fixed phase relationship. Describing the formation of self-starting frequency combs in terms of fundamental laser equations governing the field inside the cavity does not allow one, in general, to grasp how the laser synchronizes its modes. Our finding is that, in a particular class of lasers where the output is frequency modulated with small or negligible intensity modulation, a greatly simplified description of self-locking exists. We show that in quantum cascade lasers-solid-state representatives of these lasers characterized by an ultrashort carrier relaxation time-the frequency comb formation obeys a simple variational principle, which was postulated over 50 years ago and relies on the maximization of the laser output power. The conditions for the breakdown of this principle are also experimentally identified, shedding light on the behavior of many different types of lasers, such as dye, diode, and other cascade lasers. This discovery reveals that the formation of frequency-modulated combs is an elegant example of an optimization problem solved by a physical system.

[The changes of plasma coagulation function in patients with glioma and its correlation with malignant grade of glioma]

Objective: To investigate the changes of activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT), thrombin time(TT), fibrinogen(FIB) and platelet counts(PLT) in plasma of patients with glioma, and to explore the correlations between PT, APTT, TT, FIB and PLT with malignant grades of glioma. Methods: One hundred and seventy-two patients with glioma and 47 health controls were investigated in a retrospective analysis. All patients were diagnosed and identified the WHO grade by pathologist after operation. Including 40 cases with glioblastoma multiforme, WHO Ⅳ grade, 45 cases with anaplastic astrocytoma, WHO Ⅲ grade, 46 cases with astrocytoma and oligodendroglia astrocytoma, WHO Ⅱ grade, and 41 cases with pilocytic astrocytoma. Results: PT was significantly shorter in patients with WHO Ⅰ-Ⅳ grade glioma than that in normal controls (P<0.05); APTT was significantly shorter in patients with WHO Ⅲ and Ⅳ grade glioma than that in normal controls and WHO Ⅰ grade glioma patients (P<0.05); FIB of WHO Ⅳ grade glioma was higher than that in normal control and WHO Ⅰ to Ⅲ grade glioma (P<0.05). While, there was no significant difference of TT and PLT among patients with WHO Ⅰ to Ⅳ and normal controls (P>0.05). Spearman correlation analysis showed that there was negative correlation between APTT and WHO grade (r=-0.200, P=0.007) as well as positive correlation between FIB and WHO grade (r=0.175, P=0.020); Pearson linear correlation analysis showed that there was negative correlation between APTT and Ki67 in patients with glioma. Conclusions: the levels of FIB and APTT in patients with glioma were correlated with WHO grade of glioma, and higher FIB, shorter APTT and PT in patients with WHO Ⅳ grade glioma indicated that there exist hypercoagulation states.

[Evaluation of maxillary three-dimensional changes in maxillary protraction with alternating rapid palatal expansion and constriction based on the cone-beam computed tomography]

OBJECTIVE

To use the cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) to evaluate the three-dimensional (3D) changes of maxillary landmarks in the maxillary protraction with alternating rapid palatal expansion and constriction and with rapid palatal expansion, and to provide some clinical suggestions for the early treatment of Class III malocclusion.

METHODS

A total of 36 maxillary retrusive patients were included and randomized in a 1:1 ratio to either the intervention group (alternating rapid palatal expansion and constriction group, RPE/C) or the control group (rapid palatal expansion group, RPE). Randomization was accomplished with permuted block randomization based on participation sequence. The patients in the RPE/C were treated for 10 weeks (0.5 mm/d) with the repetition of two-week palatal expansion and two-week palatal constriction. The patients in the RPE were taught to complete rapid palatal expansion for 2 weeks (0.5 mm/d ). The patients were instructed to come to the office for the follow-up to ensure the correct procedures. Damaged expanders were repaired (or replaced) and rebanded quickly. Sequential CBCT images including pretreatment (T1), post-expansion (T2) and post-protraction (T3) were required for 3D reconstruction, establishment of landmarks, measurement and analysis by Mimics 10.01.

RESULTS

There was significant forward movement of subspinale (A) in the RPE/C after the treatment with (3.06±1.29) mm, compared with RPE (2.16±1.27) mm, P<0.05. There were more symmetrical changes of the landmarks in the RPE/C and there was no statistic significance of the entire treatment time between the two groups. Moreover, the maxillary skeletal landmarks had the following 3D changes of a forward and downward movement during the expansion stages T2-T1, a forward and upward movement during the protraction stages T3-T2 and a forward and downward movement during the total treatments T3-T1 compared with the control group. And the width between the bilateral landmarks increased during the expansion stages T2-T1, narrowed down during the protraction stages T3-T2 and increased during the total treatments T3-T1.

CONCLUSION

The maxillary protraction with alternating rapid palatal expansion and constriction provided clinical benefits on maxillary advancement and symmetrical changes in the orthopedic treatment of the patients with maxillary retrognathism and it required further study on the orthodontic analysis and measurements of CBCT.

[A single center large cohort study on perioperative complications of carotid endarterectomy of 547 cases]

Objective: To analyze the risk factors of perioperative complications within 30 days of carotid endarterectomy(CEA) in the treatment of carotid atherosclerosis stenosis(CAS) during 2011-2017, and to discuss the techniques for reducing the perioperative complication rates. Methods: From August 2011 to August 2017, 486 patients with CAS were retrospective included, and 61 of them underwent bilateral CEA, with a total of 547 cases of CEA included. Perioperative complications were collected within 30 days after operation, and the risk factors related to perioperative complications were analyzed by statistical analysis. Results: In total 547 cases, 12 cases had a postoperative stroke, while 1 case died. A total of 7 cases underwent cranial nerve injury, and 5 cases had an incision related complications. In chi-square test analysis, data suggested that there was a significant difference in the incidence of complications in patients with heart disease, preoperative neurological score difference, contralateral carotid serious stenosis or occlusion and intraoperative shunt in CCA/ICA technique application (P<0.05). In the multivariate Logistic regression, it suggested that poor preoperative neurological score and contralateral carotid serious stenosis or occlusion were independent risk factors for perioperative stroke and death. Conclusion: Our results showed that CEA is effective to prevent stroke and treat patients with CAS. Patients with poor preoperative neurological score and contralateral carotid serious stenosis or occlusion may increase the risk of postoperative stroke rates.

Surface elemental microanalysis with submicron lateral resolution by the laser-ablation laser-induced fluorescence technique

In order to realize surface elemental microanalysis of solid samples with submicron lateral resolution, laser-ablation (LA) combined with high sensitive laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection was investigated. A 532 nm or 266 nm nanosecond laser pulse with low pulse energy was used to realize submicron laser-ablation on the surface of a copper alloy, and LIF technique was used to sensitively detect a minor lead element in the ablated samples. ~344 nm and ~267 nm lateral resolutions could be achieved experimentally under 532 nm and 266 nm laser ablations under the current experimental condition, respectively. This demonstrated the feasibility of using a LA-LIF technique for surface elemental microanalysis of solid samples with submicron spatial resolution. The potentials of continually improving the spatial resolution of this technique to nanoscale were discussed.

The harmonic state of quantum cascade lasers: origin, control, and prospective applications [Invited]

The recently discovered ability of the quantum cascade laser to produce a harmonic frequency comb has attracted new interest in these devices for both applications and fundamental laser physics. In this review we present an extensive experimental phenomenology of the harmonic state, including its appearance in mid-infrared and terahertz quantum cascade lasers, studies of its destabilization induced by delayed optical feedback, and the assessment of its frequency comb nature. A theoretical model explaining its origin as due to the mutual interaction of population gratings and population pulsations inside the laser cavity will be described. We explore different approaches to control the spacing of the harmonic state, such as optical injection seeding and variation of the device temperature. Prospective applications of the harmonic state include microwave and terahertz generation, picosecond pulse generation in the mid-infrared, and broadband spectroscopy.

[Serotype distribution and antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella isolates from retail chicken carcasses in six provinces of China]

Objective: To obtain the serotype diversity and antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella isolates recovered from retail chicken carcasses for sale in six regions of China. Methods: From August 2010 to March 2012, each month 20 retail chicken carcasses including freshly slaughtered, chilled and frozen samples were collected from supermarkets and farmer's markets in 7 monitoring sites in Beijing, Jilin province, Inner Mongolia Autonomous, Shanxi province, Jiangsu province and Guangdong province, respectively. Samples were routinely collected for 12 months for each site. 1 680 chicken carcasses were collected in total and 2 629 Salmonella strains were isolated by PCR and biochemical method. Luminex xMAP method and classical slide agglutination method were carried out to determine isolates' serotypes. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 10 classes of antimicrobials including 14 agents were determined using broth micro-dilution method. Mocular methods were used to determine antimicrobial resistance genes of CIP-CTX-CT co-resistant isolates. Results: In all, 2 629 Salmonella isolates, there were 17 seorgroups and 58 serotypes, B and D1 were the dominant serogroups with rates of 34.7% (n=913) and 31.0% (n=815), Enteritidis (30.8%, n=810), Indiana (17.6%, n=463), Infantis (10.6%, n=278) were the top three serovars. We found 224 CIP-CTX co-resistant S. Indiana containing 3 colistin resistant strains, one of them carrying mcr-1 gene and being ESBLs positive, which demonstrated a nine multi drug resistance against 11 antimicrobials tested. Conclusion: These data began to describe the complicated serovar diversity and heavy antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella isolates recovered from retail chicken carcasses in six regions of China. The findings highlight the emergence of ciprofloxacin and cefotaxime co-resistant S. Indiana and also a mcr-1 positive S. Indiana with heavy multi drug resistance.

Magnetopolaritons in Weyl Semimetals in a Strong Magnetic Field

Exotic topological and transport properties of Weyl semimetals have generated a lot of excitement in the condensed matter community. Here we show that Weyl semimetals in a strong magnetic field are highly unusual optical materials. The propagation of electromagnetic waves is affected by an interplay between the plasmonic response of chiral Weyl fermions and extreme anisotropy induced by a magnetic field. The resulting magnetopolaritons possess a number of peculiar properties, such as hyperbolic dispersion, photonic stop bands, coupling-induced transparency, and broadband polarization conversion. These effects can be used for optical spectroscopy of these materials including detection of the chiral anomaly or for broadband terahertz or infrared applications.

[Prognostic value of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia in metastatic colon cancer patients undergoing first-line chemotherapy with FOLFOX]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the prognostic value of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia (CIN) in metastatic colon cancer undergoing first-line chemotherapy with FOLFOX.

METHODS

Data were collected from a retrospective survey of 158 consecutive metastatic colon cancer patients who had undergone FOLFOX chemotherapy. The clinicopathological characteristics and chemotherapy features of the patients were analyzed as potential prognostic factors. The patients were stratified by the decreased level of CIN to three groups: large decreased level (the number of neutrophil decreased more than 1.0×10⁹ compared with that before chemotherapy), small decreased level (the number of neutrophil decreased less than 1.0×10⁹ compared with that before chemotherapy) and the absence of neutropenia.

RESULTS

According to a multivariate COX model, decreased level of CIN was a independent prognostic factor of colon cancer patients. Hazard ratios of death were 0.687 (95% CI: 0.381-0.812, P=0.016) for patients with large decreased level of CIN and 0.817 (95% CI: 0.527-0.939, P=0.027) for those with small decreased level of CIN compared with those of absent neutropenia patients. Median overall survival was 12.9 months (95% CI: 10.4-15.4) for patients without neutropenia (A) compared with 20.8 months (95% CI: 18.3-23.1) for patients with large-decreased level of CIN (L) and with 17.3 months (95% CI: 16.2-18.8) for those with small-decreased level of CIN (S vs. L, P=0.018; L vs. A, P=0.009; S vs. A, P=0.011).

CONCLUSION

Our results demonstrate that the decreased level of CIN is a predictor of prognosis in patients with metastatic colon cancer undergoing FOLFOX chemotherapy. Patients who have experienced large decreased level of CIN haave longer survival time than small decreased level of CIN or absent patients. To monitor CIN decreased level timely and adjust chemotherapy drug dose may help improve the prognosis.

[Textual criticism and discrimination on the naming of"Five-abstention Soup of Medical Professional"from the Han-tomb of the Marquis of Haihun]

A lacquer vessel with the inscription of Yi gong wu jin tang (Five-abstention Soup of Medical Profession) has been unearthed from the Han-tomb of Marquis of Haihun, in which"Five abstentions"is related to the incantations and abstention therapies prevalent in the Qin and Han Dynasties. The"Five-abstention Law"is the five rituals and methods during the process of practicing incantations and abstentions therapies including"keeping one's thinking (cun si)","holding the breath(bi qi)","twirling eyes (nian mu)","stepping after Yu's sample (yu bu)"and"incanting and blessing (zhou zhu)". The"Five-abstention Law"uses the medium"soup"to achieve the purpose of treatment."Soup"refers either to"decoction"or to"magic water". The lacquer vessel with the inscription"Five-abstention Soup of Medical professional"could be an instrument for implementing the process of practising the"Five-abstention Law", reflecting the historical facts that Liu He, the Marquis Haihun did accept the incantations and abstention therapies.

Four-Wave Mixing in Landau-Quantized Graphene

For Landau-quantized graphene, featuring an energy spectrum consisting of nonequidistant Landau levels, theory predicts a giant resonantly enhanced optical nonlinearity. We verify the nonlinearity in a time-integrated degenerate four-wave mixing (FWM) experiment in the mid-infrared spectral range, involving the Landau levels LL_-1, LL₀ and LL₁. A rapid dephasing of the optically induced microscopic polarization on a time scale shorter than the pulse duration (∼4 ps) is observed, while a complementary pump-probe experiment under the same experimental conditions reveals a much longer lifetime of the induced population. The FWM signal shows the expected field dependence with respect to lowest order perturbation theory for low fields. Saturation sets in for fields above ∼6 kV/cm. Furthermore, the resonant behavior and the order of magnitude of the third-order susceptibility are in agreement with our theoretical calculations.

[Optic nerve subarachnoid space expansion in MR imaging: a etiology study]

Objective: To investigate spectrum of causes in optic nerve subarachnoid space (ONSS) expansion by using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Methods: A retrospective study. Twenty-six patients (46 eyes) with ONSS expansion and 20 healthy adults (40 eyes) were recruited in Neuro-ophthalmology Department of Chinese PLA General Hospital from January, 2014 to December, 2015. The diameters were measured on the optic nerve (OND) and optic nerve sheath (ONSD) 2.4 mm behind the globe. ONSS was calculated by the formula of (ONSD-OND)/2. All participants were under went ophthalmologic examinations. The patients' clinical features, MRI and final diagnosis were analyzed. Qualitative data were compared between groups by using chi square test and quantitative data were compared by independent sample t test. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between ONSS group and control group with age, BMI and mean arterial blood pressure (P>0.05). Larger space was found in ONSS group with mean±standard deviation (SD) of (1.9±0.4) mm comparing to the control group with (1.2±0. 2) mm (t=2.879, P<0.01). Bilateral ONSS expansion were found in 20 patients, 15 patients (75%) with cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST), 2 patients (10%) with neurosyphilis, 2 patients (10%) with peri-neuritis and 1 patient (5%) with hydrocephalus. Unilateral ONSS expansion were seen in 6 patients, 4 patients (66.7%) with compressive lesson on anterior visual pathway, 1 patient (16.7%) with fungal infection and 1 patient (16.7%) with peri-neuritis. Conclusions: The CVST patients more frequently presented bilateral ONSS expansion. Unilateral ONSS expansion may indicate compressive lesions located on the anterior visual pathway. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2016, 52: 911-917).