Genome-Wide Identification of GATA Family Genes in Phoebe bournei and Their Transcriptional Analysis under Abiotic Stresses.

GATA transcription factors are crucial proteins in regulating transcription and are characterized by a type-IV zinc finger DNA-binding domain. They play a significant role in the growth and development of plants. While the GATA family gene has been identified in several plant species, it has not yet been reported in Phoebe bournei. In this study, 22 GATA family genes were identified from the P. bournei genome, and their physicochemical properties, chromosomal distribution, subcellular localization, phylogenetic tree, conserved motif, gene structure, cis-regulatory elements in promoters, and expression in plant tissues were analyzed. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the PbGATAs were clearly divided into four subfamilies. They are unequally distributed across 11 out of 12 chromosomes, except chromosome 9. Promoter cis-elements are mostly involved in environmental stress and hormonal regulation. Further studies showed that PbGATA11 was localized to chloroplasts and expressed in five tissues, including the root bark, root xylem, stem bark, stem xylem, and leaf, which means that PbGATA11 may have a potential role in the regulation of chlorophyll synthesis. Finally, the expression profiles of four representative genes, PbGATA5, PbGATA12, PbGATA16, and PbGATA22, under drought, salinity, and temperature stress, were detected by qRT-PCR. The results showed that PbGATA5, PbGATA22, and PbGATA16 were significantly expressed under drought stress. PbGATA12 and PbGATA22 were significantly expressed after 8 h of low-temperature stress at 10 °C. This study concludes that the growth and development of the PbGATA family gene in P. bournei in coping with adversity stress are crucial. This study provides new ideas for studying the evolution of GATAs, provides useful information for future functional analysis of PbGATA genes, and helps better understand the abiotic stress response of P. bournei.

Robot-Assisted Electrode Array Insertion Becomes Available in Pediatric Cochlear Implant Recipients: First Report and an Intra-Individual Study.

Background: As an advanced surgical technique to reduce trauma to the inner ear, robot-assisted electrode array (EA) insertion has been applied in adult cochlear implantation (CI) and was approved as a safe surgical procedure that could result in better outcomes. As the mastoid and temporal bones are generally smaller in children, which would increase the difficulty for robot-assisted manipulation, the clinical application of these systems for CI in children has not been reported. Given that the pediatric candidate is the main population, we aim to investigate the safety and reliability of robot-assisted techniques in pediatric cochlear implantation. Methods: Retrospective cohort study at a referral center in Shanghai including all patients of simultaneous bilateral CI with robotic assistance on one side (RobOtol® system, Collin ORL, Bagneux, France), and manual insertion on the other (same brand of EA and CI in both side), from December 2019 to June 2020. The surgical outcomes, radiological measurements (EA positioning, EA insertion depth, mastoidectomy size), and audiological outcomes (Behavior pure-tone audiometry) were evaluated. Results: Five infants (17.8 ± 13.5 months, ranging from 10 to 42 months) and an adult (39 years old) were enrolled in this study. Both perimodiolar and lateral wall EAs were included. The robot-assisted EA insertion was successfully performed in all cases, although the surgical zone in infants was about half the size in adults, and no difference was observed in mastoidectomy size between robot-assisted and manual insertion sides (p = 0.219). The insertion depths of EA with two techniques were similar (P = 0.583). The robot-assisted technique showed no scalar deviation, but scalar deviation occurred for one manually inserted pre-curved EA (16%). Early auditory performance was similar to both techniques. Conclusion: Robot-assisted technique for EA insertion is approved to be used safely and reliably in children, which is possible and potential for better scalar positioning and might improve long-term auditory outcome. Standard mastoidectomy size was enough for robot-assisted technique. This first study marks the arrival of the era of robotic CI for all ages.

Thermal Safety of Endoscopic Usage in Robot-Assisted Middle Ear Surgery: An Experimental Study.

Objectives: The widespread application of endoscopic ear surgery (EES), performed through the external auditory canal, has revealed the limitations of the one-handed technique. The RobOtol® (Collin ORL, Bagneux, France) otological robotic system has been introduced to enable two-handed procedures; however, the thermal properties of dedicated endoscopes, which are usually used in neurosurgery, called "neuro-endoscopes," have not yet been clarified for the robotic systems. In this study, we aimed to profile the thermal characteristics of two dedicated neuro-endoscopes, as compared to endoscopes used routinely in manual EES, called "oto-endoscopes," and defined by a smaller diameter and shorter length, and to discuss the safe application of robotic assistance in EES. Methods: Two neuro-endoscopes (3.3 mm, 25 cm, 0°/30°) were studied using two routine light sources (LED/xenon), and two routine oto-endoscopes (3 mm, 14 cm, 0°/30°) were initially measured to provide a comprehensive comparison. Light intensities and temperatures were measured at different power settings. The thermal distributions were measured in an open environment and a human temporal bone model of EES. The cooling measures were also studied. Results: Light intensity was correlated with stabilized tip temperatures (P < 0.01, R 2 = 0.8719). Under 100% xenon power, the stabilized temperatures at the tips of 0°, 30° neuro-endoscopes, and 0°, 30° oto-endoscopes were 96.1, 60.1, 67.8, and 56.4°C, respectively. With 100% LED power, the temperatures decreased by about 10°C, respectively. For the 0° neuro-endoscope, the illuminated area far away 1cm from the tip was below 37°C when using more than 50% both power, while this distance for 30° neuro-endoscope was 0.5 cm. In the EES temporal bone model, the round window area could reach 59.3°C with the 0° neuro-endoscope under 100% xenon power. Suction resulted in a ~1-2°C temperature drop, while a 10 mL saline rinse gave a baseline temperature which lasted for 2.5 min. Conclusion: Neuro-endoscope causes higher thermal releasing in the surgical cavity of ESS, which should be especially cautious in the robotic system usage. Applying submaximal light intensity, a LED source and intermittent rinsing should be considered for the safer robot-assisted EES using a neuro-endoscope that allows a two-handed surgical procedure.

Development of a rapidly made, easily personalized drug-eluting polymer film on the electrode array of a cochlear implant during surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a drug-eluting polymer film which can be easily personalized and rapidly made on the electrode array of a cochlear implant during surgery. METHODS: A precursor solution was prepared with poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) and trichloromethane. Using a dip-coating method, the silicone electrode array (HiFocus 1J, Advanced Bionics) was coated in polymer film produced from the precursor solution containing one of three drugs: dexamethasone sodium phosphate (DSP), cytosine arabinoside hydrochloride (Ara-C), or nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), and the release of these drugs from the polymer film was studied. The drug-eluting film on the electrode array was analyzed by environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM). The water contact angle and the impedance of the electrode array were measured before and after coating. Drug release kinetics was evaluated in a quasi-stationary release model, using high performance liquid chromatography every 24 h for 15 days. RESULTS: Five electrode arrays were tested with each of the three drugs in the polymer film coating. Before and after coating, ESEM studies revealed that the drug-loaded PLGA coating yielded a smooth covering with an average thickness of 1.02 ± 0.05 µm. The mass of the coated electrode increased by 1.00 ± 0.03 mg. The water contact angle decreased after coating (102 ± 0.6° vs 77 ± 1.6°, p < 0.01) but there was no significant change in the average impedance of the electrodes after coating (0.9 ± 0.22 kΩ vs 1.0 ± 0.18 kΩ, p > 0.05). An in vitro drug kinetics study revealed a faster release in the first 24 h (63.4 ± 0.6%) and a sustained release over the following 15 days (78.3 ± 1.7% in 2 days, 95.6 ± 1.0% in 7 days and 99.1 ± 0.4% in 14 days). The release rate was not affected by the drug, dose or the thickness of the coating. CONCLUSION: The dip-coating method is feasible for rapid casting of a drug-eluting PLGA film on an electrode array during CI surgery. The coated electrode array maintained its original morphology and became more hydrophilic. The loaded drug is released in a sustained manner and is easily regulated, and so the method might represent a potential application for clinical use in cochlear implantation.