Functional Analyses of Four Cryptochromes From Aquatic Organisms After Heterologous Expression in Drosophila melanogaster Circadian Clock Cells.

Cryptochromes (Crys) represent a multi-facetted class of proteins closely associated with circadian clocks. They have been shown to function as photoreceptors but also to fulfill light-independent roles as transcriptional repressors within the negative feedback loop of the circadian clock. In addition, there is evidence for Crys being involved in light-dependent magneto-sensing, and regulation of neuronal activity in insects, adding to the functional diversity of this cryptic protein class. In mammals, Crys are essential components of the circadian clock, but their role in other vertebrates is less clear. In invertebrates, Crys can function as circadian photoreceptors, or as components of the circadian clock, while in some species, both light-receptive and clock factor roles coexist. In the current study, we investigate the function of Cry proteins in zebrafish (Danio rerio), a freshwater teleost expressing 6 cry genes. Zebrafish peripheral circadian clocks are intrinsically light-sensitive, suggesting the involvement of Cry in light-resetting. Echinoderms (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus) represent the only class of deuterostomes that possess an orthologue (SpuCry) of the light-sensitive Drosophila melanogaster Cry, which is an important component of the light-resetting pathway, but also works as transcriptional repressor in peripheral clocks of fruit flies. We therefore investigated the potential of different zebrafish cry genes and SpuCry to replace the light-resetting and repressor functions of Drosophila Cry by expressing them in fruit flies lacking endogenous cry function. Using various behavioral and molecular approaches, we show that most Cry proteins analyzed are able to fulfill circadian repressor functions in flies, except for one of the zebrafish Crys, encoded by cry4a. Cry4a also shows a tendency to support light-dependent Cry functions, indicating that it might act in the light-input pathway of zebrafish.

Motor neurons generate pose-targeted movements via proprioceptive sculpting.

Motor neurons are the final common pathway1 through which the brain controls movement of the body, forming the basic elements from which all movement is composed. Yet how a single motor neuron contributes to control during natural movement remains unclear. Here we anatomically and functionally characterize the individual roles of the motor neurons that control head movement in the fly, Drosophila melanogaster. Counterintuitively, we find that activity in a single motor neuron rotates the head in different directions, depending on the starting posture of the head, such that the head converges towards a pose determined by the identity of the stimulated motor neuron. A feedback model predicts that this convergent behaviour results from motor neuron drive interacting with proprioceptive feedback. We identify and genetically2 suppress a single class of proprioceptive neuron3 that changes the motor neuron-induced convergence as predicted by the feedback model. These data suggest a framework for how the brain controls movements: instead of directly generating movement in a given direction by activating a fixed set of motor neurons, the brain controls movements by adding bias to a continuing proprioceptive-motor loop.

Reliability and validity of the Chinese revised version of the pectus excavatum evaluation questionnaire in children with pectus excavatum.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to translate the Pectus Excavatum Evaluation Questionnaire(PEEQ) into Chinese, and to comprehensively assess subjective outcomes in quality of life of children with pectus excavatum. METHODS: The PEEQ was translated from English to Chinese as according to the PRO translation guidelines. Structural validity and reliability of the questionnaire were examined by validated factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha coefficient analysis respectively. RESULTS: The results of the validation factor analysis for the Chinese PEEQ parent's and child's questionnaires demonstrated that the fit indicators for each dimension met the required criteria. The overall Cronbach's alpha coefficient of parent's and child's questionnaires were 0.840 and 0.854. Both the item-level content validity index (I-CVI) and scale-level content validity index (S-CVI) of each sub-questionnaire were 1. CONCLUSION: The Chinese version of the PEEQ parent's questionnaire is suitable as a proxy assessment for patients with PE, but the child's questionnaire needs further adjustments.

Gradient Guided-Mode Resonance Biosensor with Smartphone Readout.

Integrating biosensors with smartphones is becoming an increasingly popular method for detecting various biomolecules and could replace expensive laboratory-based instruments. In this work, we demonstrate a novel smartphone-based biosensor system with a gradient grating period guided-mode resonance (GGP-GMR) sensor. The sensor comprises numerous gratings which each correspond to and block the light of a specific resonant wavelength. This results in a dark band, which is observed using a CCD underneath the GGP-GMR sensor. By monitoring the shift in the dark band, the concentration of a molecule in a sample can be determined. The sensor is illuminated by a light-emitting diode, and the light transmitted through the GGP-GMR sensor is directly captured by a smartphone, which then displays the results. Experiments were performed to validate the proposed smartphone biosensor and a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.50 × 10-3 RIU was achieved for sucrose solutions. Additionally, multiplexed detection was demonstrated for albumin and creatinine solutions at concentrations of 0-500 and 0-1 mg/mL, respectively; the corresponding LODs were 1.18 and 20.56 µg/mL.

Robot-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for mediastinal tumours in children: a single-centre retrospective study of 149 patients.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this retrospective study was to summarize our experience in performing robot-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (RATS) for mediastinal tumours in children to investigate its safety and feasibility. METHODS: This retrospective study involved 149 patients with mediastinal tumours who were hospitalized in the Department of Thoracic Surgery of Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, and underwent RATS for tumour resection from March 2021 to November 2022. Information on patient age, weight, tumour size, surgical incision selection, operative time, intraoperative bleeding, intraoperative complications, length of hospital stay, rate of conversion to thoracotomy and follow-up conditions were summarized. RESULTS: All 149 surgeries were successfully completed with no cases of mortality. There were 77 male and 72 female patients, with a mean age of 5.9 years (range: 6 months-16 years, 8 months) and a mean weight of 23.6 kg (8.0-72.0 kg). The mean maximum tumour diameter was 5.5 cm (2.0-12.0 cm), the mean operative time was 106.7 min (25.0-260.0 min), the mean intraoperative bleeding volume was 11.3 ml (1.0-400.0 ml) and the mean hospital stay was 7.2 days (4.0-14.0 days). All patients recovered well with no cases of tumour recurrence or mortality during the postoperative follow-up period (3-23 months). CONCLUSIONS: RATS is safe and feasible to apply in children with mediastinal tumours who are >6 months of age and weigh more than 8 kg in terms of short-term outcomes, but longer-term follow-up is needed to fully evaluate the benefits. For cases that are associated with greater surgical difficulty and risk, a comprehensive surgical plan should be fully prepared in advance of surgery.

Prophylactic cerebrospinal fluid drainage and spinal cord ischemia in thoracic and thoracoabdominal endovascular procedures: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Spinal cord ischemia (SCI) is one of the most devastating complications of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR). Prophylactic cerebrospinal fluid drainage (CSFD) has been shown to decrease the risk of SCI in open thoracic aortic procedures; however, its utility in TEVAR remains uncertain. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to determine the role of prophylactic CSFD in preventing SCI in TEVAR. Methods: A literature search of five databases was performed and all studies published before September 2022 that reported SCI rates in TEVAR patients undergoing prophylactic CSFD were included. A random effects meta-analysis of means or proportions was performed for single-arm data. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were reported for comparisons between groups. Results: A total of 4,793 patients undergoing TEVAR from 40 studies were included. The mean age was 68.8 years and 70.9% of patients were male. The overall SCI rate was 3.5%, with a 1.3% rate of immediate SCI and a 1.9% rate of delayed SCI. There were no significant differences in SCI rates between prophylactic CSFD patients and non-drained patients. Routine CSFD did not have a significant impact on SCI rates compared to non-drained patients. There was an increased rate of transient SCI with selective CSFD compared to non-drained patients (OR 2.08; 95% CI: 1.06-4.08; P=0.03). The most common drain-related complication was spinal headache (4.3%). The major complication rate was 1.6%, of which epidural or spinal hematoma (0.9%) was the most common, followed by intracranial or subdural hemorrhage (0.8%) and paraparesis or paraplegia (0.8%). Conclusions: This study found no significant difference in SCI rates between prophylactic CSFD patients and their non-drained counterparts. CSFD is associated with a small but non-negligible risk of serious complications. Multi-center randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are warranted to help stratify the risk of both SCI and CSFD-related complications in patients undergoing endovascular aortic procedures.

Biomechanical origins of proprioceptor feature selectivity and topographic maps in the Drosophila leg.

Our ability to sense and move our bodies relies on proprioceptors, sensory neurons that detect mechanical forces within the body. Different subtypes of proprioceptors detect different kinematic features, such as joint position, movement, and vibration, but the mechanisms that underlie proprioceptor feature selectivity remain poorly understood. Using single-nucleus RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), we found that proprioceptor subtypes in the Drosophila leg lack differential expression of mechanosensitive ion channels. However, anatomical reconstruction of the proprioceptors and connected tendons revealed major biomechanical differences between subtypes. We built a model of the proprioceptors and tendons that identified a biomechanical mechanism for joint angle selectivity and predicted the existence of a topographic map of joint angle, which we confirmed using calcium imaging. Our findings suggest that biomechanical specialization is a key determinant of proprioceptor feature selectivity in Drosophila. More broadly, the discovery of proprioceptive maps reveals common organizational principles between proprioception and other topographically organized sensory systems.

Immunogenicity and Blocking Efficacy of Norovirus GII.4 Recombinant P Protein Vaccine.

Noroviruses (NoVs) are the main cause of acute gastroenteritis in all ages worldwide. The aim of this study was to produce the recombinant P protein of norovirus and to demonstrate its blocking effect. In this study, the engineered strains were induced to express the P protein of NoVs GII.4, which was identified using SDS-PAGE and ELISA as having the capacity to bind to histo-blood group antigens (HBGAs). Rabbits were immunized to obtain neutralizing antibodies. ELISA and ISC-RT-qPCR were used to determine the blocking efficacy of the neutralizing antibody to human norovirus (HuNoV) and murine norovirus (MNV). The recombinant P protein (35 KD) was obtained, and the neutralizing antibody was successfully prepared. The neutralizing antibody could block the binding of the P protein and HuNoV to HBGAs. Neutralizing antibodies can also block MNV invasion into host cells RAW264.7. The recombinant P protein expressed in E. coli can induce antibodies to block HuNoV and MNV. The recombinant P protein of NoVs GII.4 has the value of vaccine development.

Elevated exosome-transferrable lncRNA EPB41L4A-AS1 in CD56bright NK cells is responsible for the impaired NK function in neuroblastoma patients by suppressing cell glycolysis.

NK cells are one of key immune components in neuroblastoma (NB) surveillance and eradication. Glucose metabolism as a major source of fuel for NK activation is exquisitely regulated. Our data revealed a diminished NK activation and a disproportionally augmented CD56bright subset in NB. Further study showed that NK cells in NB presented with an arrested glycolysis accompanied by an elevated expression of the long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) EPB41L4A-AS1, a known crucial participant in glycolysis regulation, in the CD56bright NK subset. The inhibitory function of lncRNA EPB41L4A-AS1 was recapitulated. Interestingly, our study demonstrated that exosomal lncRNA EPB41L4A-AS1 was transferrable from CD56bright NK to CD56dim NK and was able to quench the glycolysis of target NK. Our data demonstrated that an arrested glycolysis in patient NK cells was associated with an elevated lncRNA in CD56bright NK subset and a cross-talk between heterogeneous NK subsets was achieved by transferring metabolic inhibitory lncRNA through exosomes.

Automatic implant shape design for minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum using deep learning and shape registration.

Minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum (MIRPE) is an effective method for correcting pectus excavatum (PE), a congenital chest wall deformity characterized by concave depression of the sternum. In MIRPE, a long, thin, curved stainless plate (implant) is placed across the thoracic cage to correct the deformity. However, the implant curvature is difficult to accurately determine during the procedure. This implant depends on the surgeon's expert knowledge and experience and lacks objective criteria. Moreover, tedious manual input by surgeons is required to estimate the implant shape. In this study, a novel three-step end-to-end automatic framework is proposed to determine the implant shape during preoperative planning: (1) The deepest depression point (DDP) in the sagittal plane of the patient's CT volume is automatically determined using Sparse R-CNN-R101, and the axial slice containing the point is extracted. (2) Cascade Mask R-CNN-X101 segments the anterior intercostal gristle of the pectus, sternum and rib in the axial slice, and the contour is extracted to generate the PE point set. (3) Robust shape registration is performed to match the PE shape with a healthy thoracic cage, which is then utilized to generate the implant shape. The framework was evaluated on a CT dataset of 90 PE patients and 30 healthy children. The experimental results show that the average error of the DDP extraction was 5.83 mm. The end-to-end output of our framework was compared with surgical outcomes of professional surgeons to clinically validate the effectiveness of our method. The results indicate that the root mean square error (RMSE) between the midline of the real implant and our framework output was less than 2 mm.

Thoracoscopic approach for massive thymic hyperplasia in an infant: Case report and literature review.

Introduction: Massive thymic hyperplasia (MTH) is a very rare entity, with fewer than 20 cases reported in the literature in infancy. Most patients have respiratory symptoms and the enlarged thymus gland occupies one side of the thoracic cavity. Posterolateral thoracotomy or median sternotomy is the main treatment for MTH in infants. We report a case of an infant with MTH in which the enlarged thymus occupied his bilateral thoracic cavity and he underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). In addition, we reviewed and summarized the relevant literature. Case Report: A 4-month-old boy was admitted to the hospital with no apparent cause of dyspnea for 18 days, with cough and sputum. On examination, the patient was found to have cyanotic lips, diminished breath sounds in both lungs, and a positive three concave sign. There was no fever or ptosis. Preoperative imaging showed large soft tissue shadows in the bilateral thoracic cavity, with basic symmetry between the right and left sides. Tumor markers were within the normal range. Ultrasound-guided fine needle biopsy showed normal thymic structures with no evidence of malignancy. As his symptoms worsened, he eventually underwent unilateral thoracic approach video-assisted thoracoscopic exploratory surgery, during which a large mass occupying the bilateral thoracic cavity was removed in a separate block and part of the thymus in the left lobe was preserved. Pathological examination confirmed true thymic hyperplasia (TTH). No relevant complications occurred at the 2-month postoperative follow-up. Conclusion: In infants, MTH occupying the bilateral thoracic cavity can produce severe respiratory and circulatory symptoms due to occupying effects. Although a definitive preoperative diagnosis is sometimes difficult, after combining computed tomography (CT) and fine needle biopsy to exclude evidence of other malignancies, the enlarged thymus occupying the bilateral thoracic cavity can be resected via VATS. Whether the enlarged thymus occupies the bilateral thoracic cavity and the size of the thymus are not absolute contraindications to thoracoscopic surgery. The method is safe, feasible, and minimally invasive to the patient.

Use of caliper-based external measurement of body surface in assessing the severity of pectus excavatum.

Introduction: Objective assessment of the severity of pectus excavatum (PE) mainly depends on internal imaging examination, which poses radiation exposure risks and high financial costs. Our study explores the feasibility of caliper-based external measurements of the body surface to assess PE severity. Materials and methods: Patients with PE aged 4-18 years who underwent both internal imaging examinations and external measurements were chosen for the study. Overall, 176 patients underwent surgery and 21 underwent regular observation. The Haller index (HI) and correction index (CI) were used to derive the external measurement indices, HI-caliper and CI-caliper. Receiver-operator characteristic analysis provided the optimal cut-off values and compared the diagnostic values of HI-caliper and CI-caliper. Spearman's correlation coefficient and Cohen's kappa coefficient were used to analyze the correlation and consistency between HI-caliper or CI-caliper and HI-CT or CI-CT, respectively. Also, a paired samples t-test was used to compare the differences of HI-caliper or CI-caliper before and after surgery. Results: HI-caliper and CI-caliper measurements had strong correlations with HI-CT and CI-CT results (rs = 0.70, p < 0.001; rs = 0.69, p < 0.001), respectively. The optimal cut-off values of HI-caliper and CI-caliper were 1.83 (sensitivity = 0.841, specificity = 0.905) and 12% (sensitivity = 0.881, specificity = 0.857), exhibiting comparable diagnostic values with HI-CT and CI-CT. HI-caliper > 1.83 or CI-caliper > 12% had medium intensity consistency with HI-CT ≥ 3.25 or CI-CT ≥ 28% (k = 0.545, 95% confidence interval: 0.374-0.716, p < 0.001). The HI-caliper and CI-caliper values were significantly different before and after surgery. Conclusion: Caliper-based external measurement is a feasible method to screen patients who require surgical intervention and for monitoring the progression of PE severity.

Procedural and clinical outcomes of transcatheter aortic valve replacement in bicuspid aortic valve patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Currently, bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) anatomy remains a relative contraindication for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) due to concerns of suboptimal anatomy. However, recent advancements in the field have provided a wealth of promising data and more clinicians are opting for TAVR as an alternative to surgical repair. We aim to review and analyze the available data for TAVR in BAV patients, targeting procedural outcomes, clinical outcomes and mortality with up to two years of follow-up. Methods: A literature search of five databases was performed and all primary studies published between 2002 and 2021 that reported procedural, clinical or mortality outcome data were identified. Following data extraction, a meta-analysis of means or proportions was performed using a random effects model. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 statistic. Results: A total of 22 studies with 1,945 BAV patients were identified. The mean age was 74.1 years and 58.8% of patients were male. Device success rates was 87.5%. Moderate to severe paravalvular leak (PVL) was seen in 3.7% of procedures. Clinical outcomes included new permanent pacemaker insertion (PPI) (11.8%), major bleeding (3.5%), major vascular complications (2.5%), stroke (2.3%), acute kidney injury (2.1%) and coronary obstruction (0.1%). Mortality in hospital, at 30-days, one and two years of follow-up were 1.9%, 2.1%, 9.6% and 12.9%, respectively. Conclusions: This assessment of the available data on TAVR for BAV shows promising outcomes and low rates of complications. However, further research is warranted to reduce the heterogeneity of the available data and provide insight into outcomes beyond two years of follow-up.

Intralobar Pulmonary Sequestration Presenting as Hemothorax Secondary to Spontaneous Pneumothorax: Case Report and Literature Review.

Introduction: Patients with pulmonary sequestration (PS), a rare congenital lung malformation, are mostly asymptomatic. Recurrent localized infection is a major complication, while sudden hemothorax is extremely rare. We present a case of intralobar PS presenting as hemothorax secondary to spontaneous pneumothorax and comprehensively review the relevant literature. Case Report: A 16-year-old male presented with chest pain after strenuous exercise. Chest X-ray showed a moderate pneumothorax. After admission and conservative treatment, he developed dizziness, amaurosis, and urinary incontinence. Bedside chest X-ray suggested a massive pleural effusion, and hemothorax was further identified via catheter drainage. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography was performed, and no abnormal blood vessels or leakage of contrast agent were observed. As the hemoglobin level continued to drop, exploratory thoracoscopic surgery was performed immediately. The abnormal systemic artery supplying the lung tissue was found to be ruptured; therefore, ligation of the abnormal artery with resection of the diseased lung tissue was performed. Pathological examination revealed non-specific manifestations of PS. He was followed up for 1 year without related complications. Conclusion: Our case suggests that the abnormal supply vessels of PS are unstable, which may cause sudden hemothorax. Therefore, patients with PS should undergo surgery promptly after diagnosis. In patients with hemothorax, we should consider the diagnosis of PS; however, contrast-enhanced computed tomography or angiography cannot confirm the diagnosis in all cases. Surgical intervention is recommended in emergency settings.

A natural timeless polymorphism allowing circadian clock synchronization in "white nights".

Daily temporal organisation offers a fitness advantage and is determined by an interplay between environmental rhythms and circadian clocks. While light:dark cycles robustly synchronise circadian clocks, it is not clear how animals experiencing only weak environmental cues deal with this problem. Like humans, Drosophila originate in sub-Saharan Africa and spread North up to the polar circle, experiencing long summer days or even constant light (LL). LL disrupts clock function, due to constant activation of CRYPTOCHROME, which induces degradation of the clock protein TIMELESS (TIM), but temperature cycles are able to overcome these deleterious effects of LL. We show here that for this to occur a recently evolved natural timeless allele (ls-tim) is required, encoding the less light-sensitive L-TIM in addition to S-TIM, the only form encoded by the ancient s-tim allele. We show that only ls-tim flies can synchronise their behaviour to semi-natural conditions typical for Northern European summers, suggesting that this functional gain is driving the Northward ls-tim spread.

Plate Load Tests on an Unsaturated Sand-Kaolin Mixture with Varying Water Table.

Clayey sand is widely distributed and commonly encountered in geotechnical engineering practice. To understand its bearing capacity behavior under unsaturated conditions, plate load tests are performed on sand-kaolin mixture samples with varying water tables. The distributions of suction and volumetric water content with depth are measured by vibrating wire piezometers and soil moisture sensors, respectively. It is shown by the test results that the bearing capacity increases when the water table in the soil sample drops. The influence of suction on the bearing capacity is found to be dependent on the height of the water table and the hydraulic loading history of the soil sample. The plate load test results are interpreted using bearing capacity equations. Good agreement is obtained between measured and calculated bearing capacities. This study provides a simple method to estimate the bearing capacity of in situ unsaturated soil foundations.

Surgical Treatment of Cervicothoracic Junction Lesions in Children: A Series of 18 Cases.

Purpose The cervicothoracic junction (CTJ) lesions in children is rare. Surgical treatment for lesions at the cervicothoracic junction is challenging due to the presence of the great vessels and other thoracic structures. There are no criteria that help select a surgical approach to manage cervicothoracic lesions in children so far. This study focuses on the cervicothoracic junction lesions in children(C7-T4) and provides experience for the appropriate surgical approach for them.Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 18 children with cervicothoracic junction lesions who underwent surgical treatment in our Hospital from January 2015 to September 2019. They were evaluated with preoperative CT or MR imaging and diagnosed postoperatively by pathological examination.Results: This study included 2 patients with congenital lesions, 4 patients with benign lesions, and 12 patients with malignant lesions. Lesions with a margin below C7-T3, including benign and malignant tumors could be resected using a simple low anterior cervical approach (LACA). Congenital lesions and benign lesions with a margin below T4 could also be treated with this approach. Two-thirds of the malignant lesions below T4 were resected through the LACA combined with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). 1 patient with malignant lesion extending to T4 was removed by the LACA combined with posterolateral thoracotomy.Conclusions: The lesions at the cervicothoracic junction (C7-T4) in children may be managed with the simple LACA used in most patients. For malignancies extending to the T4 level, LACA and VATS could be performed in combination to resect lesions completely and invasively.

Endovascular repair of acute complicated type B aortic dissection-systematic review and meta-analysis of long-term survival and reintervention.

BACKGROUND: Thoracic endovascular repair (TEVAR) is considered the first-line therapy in the repair of acute complicated type B aortic dissection (AC-BAD). Given the difficulty of designing randomized trials in this surgical cohort, long-term outcome data is limited. This systematic review and meta-analysis provide a complete aggregation of reported long-term survival and freedom from reintervention of AC-BAD patients based on the existing literature. METHODS: Three databases were searched from date of database inception to January 2021. The relevant references were identified and baseline cohort characteristics, survival and freedom from reintervention were extracted. The primary endpoints were survival and freedom from reintervention, whilst secondary endpoints were post-operative outcomes such as cord ischemia and endoleak. Kaplan-Meier curves were digitized and aggregated as per established procedure. RESULTS: A total of 2,812 references were identified in the literature search for review, with 46 selected for inclusion. A total of 2,565 patients were identified, of which 1,920 (75%) were male. The mean age of the cohort was 59.8±5.8. Actuarial survival at 2, 4, 6 and 10 years was 87.5%, 83.2%, 78.5% and 69.7%, respectively. Freedom from all secondary reintervention at 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 years was 74.7%, 69.1%, 65.7%, 63.9% and 60.9%, respectively. When accounting for study quality, actuarial survival at 2, 4, 6 and 8 years was 85.4%, 79.1%, 69.8% and 63.1%, respectively. Freedom from all secondary reintervention at 2, 4, 6 and 8 years was 73.2%, 67.6%, 63.7% (maintained), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: TEVAR is associated with promising long-term survival extended to 10 years, though rates of freedom from reintervention remain an ongoing point for improvement. Randomized controlled trials comparing endovascular with open repair in the setting of acute, complicated type B aortic dissection are needed.

Functional architecture of neural circuits for leg proprioception in Drosophila.

To effectively control their bodies, animals rely on feedback from proprioceptive mechanosensory neurons. In the Drosophila leg, different proprioceptor subtypes monitor joint position, movement direction, and vibration. Here, we investigate how these diverse sensory signals are integrated by central proprioceptive circuits. We find that signals for leg joint position and directional movement converge in second-order neurons, revealing pathways for local feedback control of leg posture. Distinct populations of second-order neurons integrate tibia vibration signals across pairs of legs, suggesting a role in detecting external substrate vibration. In each pathway, the flow of sensory information is dynamically gated and sculpted by inhibition. Overall, our results reveal parallel pathways for processing of internal and external mechanosensory signals, which we propose mediate feedback control of leg movement and vibration sensing, respectively. The existence of a functional connectivity map also provides a resource for interpreting connectomic reconstruction of neural circuits for leg proprioception.

An Improved Large-Scale Stress-Controlled Apparatus for Long-Term Seepage Study of Coarse-Grained Cohesive Soils.

Clay-gravel mixture has been widely used in high embankment dams and understanding its seepage characteristics is critical to dam safety. From the instrumental perspective, the realization of continuous pressurized water supply becomes a key technical challenge, significantly restricting the working conditions replicated in previous seepage apparatuses. To this end, a novel water provision system, relying on parallel-disposed sensor-based pressure devices, was introduced, so that the application of an existing large-scale stress-controlled apparatus can be expanded to long-term seepage tests regarding coarse-grained cohesive soils. Constant-head permeability tests were conducted on original-graded clay-gravel mixtures to investigate their hydraulic properties, incorporating the influence of stress relaxation. Test results show that with 35% gravel content, the clay-gravel mixture is suitable for dam construction as the core material. The stress relaxation holds a marginal effect on the hydraulic conductivity of soil. The functionality of this improved apparatus is verified, especially under long-term seepage conditions.