High Q-Factor Single-Mode Lasing in Inorganic Perovskite Microcavities with Microfocusing Field Confinement.

The realization of high-Q single-mode lasing on the microscale is significant for the advancement of on-chip integrated light sources. It remains a challenging trade-off between Q-factor enhancement and light-field localization to raise the lasing emission rate. Here, we fabricated a zero-dimensional perovskite microcavity integrated with a nondamage pressed microlens to three-dimensionally tailor the intracavity light field and demonstrated linearly and nonlinearly (two-photon) pumped lasing by this microfocusing configuration. Notably, the microlensing microcavity experimentally achieves a high Q-factor (16700), high polarization (99.6%), and high Purcell factor (11.40) single-mode lasing under high-repetition pulse pumping. Three-dimensional light-field confinement formed by the microlens and plate microcavity simultaneously reduces the mode volume (∼3.66 µm3) and suppresses diffraction and transverse walk-off loss, which induces discretization on energy-momentum dispersions and spatial electromagnetic-field distributions. The Q factor and Purcell factor of our lasing come out on top among most of the reported perovskite microcavities, paving a promising avenue toward further studying electrically driven on-chip microlasers.

Design and fabrication of a sub-3†dB grating coupler on an X-cut thin-film lithium niobate platform.

Thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) based integrated photonic devices have been intensively investigated due to their promising properties, enabling various on-chip applications. Grating couplers (GCs) are wildly used for their flexibility and high alignment tolerance for fiber-to-chip coupling. However, achieving high coupling efficiency (CE) in TFLN GCs often requires the use of reflectors, hybrid materials, or extremely narrow linewidths of the grating arrays, which significantly increases the fabrication difficulty. Therefore, there is a demand for high-CE GCs on TFLN with simple structure and easy fabrication processes. In this paper, combining process capabilities, we demonstrate a highly efficient apodized GC by linearly optimizing the period length and the fill factor on a 600-nm-thick TFLN platform. Without any reflector or hybrid material, we achieve a remarkable coupling loss of -2.97 dB at 1555 nm on the 600-nm-thick X-cut TFLN platform with only a single lithography and etching step. Our work sets a new benchmark for CE among GCs on the 600-nm-thick TFLN platform.

Evolution, Gene Duplication, and Expression Pattern Analysis of CrRLK1L Gene Family in Zea mays (L.).

Catharanthus roseus receptor-like kinase 1-like (CrRLK1L) plays pivotal roles in regulating plant growth and development, mediating intercellular signal transduction, and modulating responses to environmental stresses. However, a comprehensive genome-wide identification and analysis of the CrRLK1L gene family in maize remains elusive. In this study, a total of 24 CrRLK1L genes were identified in the maize whole genome. A phylogenetic analysis further revealed that CrRLK1L proteins from Arabidopsis, rice, and maize were grouped into nine distinct subgroups, with subgroup IV being unique to maize. Gene structure analysis demonstrated that the number of introns varied greatly among ZmCrRLK1L genes. Notably, the genome-wide duplication (WGD) events promoted the expansion of the ZmCrRLK1L gene family. Compared with Arabidopsis, there were more collinear gene pairs between maize and rice. Tissue expression patterns indicated that ZmCrRLK1L genes are widely expressed in various tissues, with ZmCrRLK1L5/9 specifically highly expressed in roots, and ZmCrRLK1L8/14/16/21/22 expressed in anthers. Additionally, RNA-seq and RT-qPCR analyses revealed that the expression of ZmCrRLK1L1/2/20/22 genes exhibited different expression patterns under drought and salt stresses. In summary, our study lays a foundation for elucidating the biological roles of ZmCrRLK1L genes in maize growth and development, reproductive development, and stress responses.

Microfibril-Associated Glycoprotein-2 Promoted Fracture Healing via Integrin αvß3/PTK2/AKT Signaling.

Fracture healing is a complex physiological process in which angiogenesis plays an essential role. Microfibril-associated glycoprotein-2 (MAGP2) has been reported to possess a proangiogenic activity via integrin αvß3, yet its role in bone repair is unexplored. In this study, a critical-sized femoral defect (2 mm) was created in mice, followed by the delivery of an adenovirus-based MAGP2 overexpression vector or its negative control at the fracture site. At days 7, 14, 21, and 28 postfracture, bone fracture healing was evaluated by radiography, micro-computed tomography, and histopathologic analysis. Adenovirus-based MAGP2 overexpression vector-treated mice exhibited increased bone mineral density and bone volume fraction. MAGP2 overexpression contributed to an advanced stage of endochondral ossification and induced cartilage callus into the bony callus. Further analysis indicated that MAGP2 was associated with enhanced angiogenesis, as evidenced by marked MAGP2 and integrin αvß3 costaining and increased endothelial cell markers such as endomucin and CD31 levls, as well as elevated phosphorylation of protein tyrosine kinase 2 (PTK2) and AKT serine/threonine kinase 1 (AKT) in the callus. In vitro, recombinant human MAGP2 treatment enhanced the viability, migration, and tube formation ability of human microvascular endothelial cells, which was partially reversed by integrin αvß3 inhibition or MK-2206, a specific AKT inhibitor. Inhibition of integrin αvß3 abolished MAGP2-induced PTK2 and AKT activation. Taken together, our data provide the first evidence that MAGP2 promotes angiogenesis and bone formation by activating the integrin αvß3/PTK2/AKT signaling pathway.

[Mechanism of stress-induced microglial activation in depression and traditional Chinese medicine regulation].

Depression exists with high prevalence and heavy disease burden. Stress events play a key role in the occurrence of depression, but the pathological mechanism has not been fully clarified by reason of the complexity and heterogeneity. In recent years, neuroinflammation as a pathological mechanism of depression has received extensive attention. The activated microglia is regarded as the marker of neuroinflammation, which is an important link of stress-induced depression. Stress might induce microglia activation through pattern recognition receptors(PRR), intestinal flora, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal(HPA) axis, and other pathways. Cross-talk between impaired microglia function and neurobiological factors such as inflammatory cytokines, serotonin metabolism, and neuroplasticity may lead to depression. At present, a large number of studies have proved that traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) plays an anti-depressive role by inhibiting microglia activation, which may be potential treatment strategies for depressive disorder. This paper reviewed the research progress of stress-induced microglia activation in depression and summarized the mechanism of TCM against depression with regard to microglia, hoping to provide experimental evidence and consideration for TCM against depression through microglia.

Two stripe rust effectors impair wheat resistance by suppressing import of host Fe-S protein into chloroplasts.

Several effectors from phytopathogens usually target various cell organelles to interfere with plant defenses, and they generally contain sequences that direct their translocation into organelles, such as chloroplasts. In this study, we characterized a different mechanism for effectors to attack chloroplasts in wheat (Triticum aestivum). Two effectors from Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst), Pst_4, and Pst_5, inhibit Bax-mediated cell death and plant immune responses, such as callose deposition and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation. Gene silencing of the two effectors induced significant resistance to Pst, demonstrating that both effectors function as virulence factors of Pst. Although these two effectors have low sequence similarities and lack chloroplast transit peptides, they both interact with TaISP (wheat cytochrome b6-f complex iron-sulfur subunit, a chloroplast protein encoded by nuclear gene) in the cytoplasm. Silencing of TaISP impaired wheat resistance to avirulent Pst and resulted in less accumulation of ROS. Heterogeneous expression of TaISP enhanced chloroplast-derived ROS accumulation in Nicotiana benthamiana. Co-localization in N. benthamiana and western blot assay of TaISP content in wheat chloroplasts show that both effectors suppressed TaISP from entering chloroplasts. We conclude that these biotrophic fungal effectors suppress plant defenses by disrupting the sorting of chloroplast protein, thereby limiting host ROS accumulation and promoting fungal pathogenicity.

Calcium ionophore improves embryonic development and pregnancy outcomes in patients with previous developmental problems in ICSI cycles.

BACKGROUND: Calcium (Ca2+) ionophores are now mainly considered as efficient treatments for fertilization failure. Recently, its application for rescuing poor embryo development was proposed but still non-routine. This study aimed to explore whether Ca2+ ionophore improves embryo development and pregnancy outcomes in patients with poor embryo development in previous intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles. METHODS: This study included 97 patients undergoing assisted oocyte activation (AOA) with Ca2+ ionophore (calcimycin, A23187) treatment. Preimplantation embryonic development and clinical outcomes were compared between ICSI-AOA cycles (AOA group) and previous ICSI cycles of the same patients in which poor embryo developmental potential was present (non-AOA group). Subgroups stratified by maternal age (< 35, 35-40, ≥ 40 years, respectively) were analyzed separately. RESULTS: A total of 642 MII oocytes were collected in AOA group, and 689 in non-AOA group. Significantly higher day 3 good quality embryo rate (P = 0.034), good quality blastocyst formation rate (P <  0.001), and utilization rate (P <  0.001) were seen in AOA group. Similar results were seen in each subgroup. For pregnancy outcomes, there were significant differences in clinical pregnancy rate (P = 0.039) and live birth rate (P = 0.045) in total group. In subgroup aged < 35 years, biochemical (P = 0.038), clinical (P = 0.041), and ongoing pregnancy rate (P = 0.037) in AOA group were significantly higher than that in non-AOA group. No significant improvement for clinical outcomes for subgroups aged 35-40 and aged ≥40. CONCLUSION: The study suggests that calcimycin could improve preimplantation development and pregnancy outcomes in patients aged < 35 years with embryo developmental problems in previous ICSI cycles.

Efficiency and safety of laser-assisted hatching on vitrified-warmed blastocyst transfer cycles: a prospective control trial.

To clarify the efficiency and safety of laser-assisted hatching (LAH) application on vitrified-warmed blastocyst transfer (VBT) cycles, we designed the non-randomized concurrent control trial included 4039 VBT cycles in the Center for Reproductive Medicine, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, during the even days from November 2014 to December 2015. The VBT cycles were divided into LAH group (n = 1932) and non-LAH group (n = 2107) according to the date of blastocyst thawing. Laser-partial zona pellucida dissection was performed on all blastocysts thawed on that day every 4 days, and those blastocysts were assigned to the LAH group. There were a higher biochemical pregnancy rate (66.87% vs 63.69%; P = 0.034; rate ratio for LAH vs non-LAH group [RR], 1.050; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.004-1.098) and an increased live birth rate (48.81% vs 45.51%; P = 0.036; RR, 1.072; 95% CI, 1.005-1.145) with comparable ectopic pregnancy, twin or multiple pregnancies, spontaneous abortion and birth defect rates of the LAH group than those of the non-LAH group. Subgroup analysis showed that live birth rate, birth defect rate, and other pregnancy outcomes were comparable for patients younger than 35 years when blastocyst transfer, patients with endometrium thickness less than 0.9 cm during ovulation or the initiation of progesterone treatment, ICSI blastocysts, AC or BC blastocysts according to Gardner morphological criteria and day 5 blastocysts of the LAH group than it of non-LAH group. LAH could be performed selectively on vitrified-warmed blastocysts before transfer for better pregnancy outcomes. Trial registration number: ChiCTR2000032975. Date of registration: May 17, 2020. Retrospectively registered.

Analysis of the trend of volatile compounds by HS-SPME-GC-MS and the main factors affecting the formation of rancid odor during the oxidation process of infant nutrition package.

In this study, headspace solid-phase micro-extraction (HS-SPME) coupled with GC-MS was used to analyze the trend of volatile compounds in fresh and oxidative infant nutrition package. Among the volatile compounds, aldehydes and ketones, alcohols, lipids, cycloalkenes, alkanes, alkenes, aromatic hydrocarbons, oxygenated compound were identified. A total of 65 volatile compounds were detected in the fresh nutrition package, whereas 9 new volatile compounds were detected during the accelerated oxidation process, which was oxidized at 45 °C for 4 weeks. The main components of the rancid flavor formed and the relative content of volatile substances gradually changed during the accelerated oxidation process. The volatile substances hexanal, nonanal, and 2-pentylfuran substantially increased. Linalool, α-terpineol, d-limonene, and 1-methoxy-nonane presented an evidently downward trend. The relative content of the newly formed compound 3-hydroxy-2-methylpyran-4-one during the oxidation process was always large, its relative content initially increased, then decreased, and finally increased again. The formation of rancid flavor of the nutrient package was speculated to have been formed by the interaction of hexanal, nonanal, 2-pentylfuran, and 3-hydroxy-2-methylpyran-4-one.

Metabolomic Profiling of the Synergistic Effects of Ginsenoside Rg1 in Combination with Neural Stem Cell Transplantation in Ischemic Stroke Rats.

As the greatest medical and socioeconomic problem in developing countries, stroke is the second or third leading cause of death in China and worldwide. In adult organisms suffering from stroke, transplanted stem cells have the ability to repair damaged tissues by regenerating autologous cells, while ginsenoside Rg1 could promote proliferation and differentiation of stem cells. Although obvious antistroke effects of ginsenoside Rg1 and transplanted stem cells have been verified in publications, the mechanism exploration remains challenging. Our study was carried out to investigate the synergistic effects of ginsenoside Rg1 and neural stem cell (NSC) transplantation on MCAO rats with a 1H NMR-based nontargeted metabolomics method to identify potential biomarkers and protein targets and discover the potential mechanism. NSCs transplantation after MCAO combined with ginsenoside Rg1 administration could significantly improve the cerebral infarct and neurological deficits. The treatment significantly intervened the levels of ten metabolites, and perturbed energy metabolism, amino acids metabolism, and lipids metabolism. And 11 enzymes were identified and verified as the targets of NSCs transplantation and ginsenoside Rg1 administration on MCAO rats. Our findings helped to improve the antistroke mechanism of NSCs transplantation and ginsenoside Rg1 and supply a theory basis for the combined research of stem cells and Chinese medicine in the future.

Clinical outcomes following frozen-thawed blastocyst transfers with blastocysts derived from different cell numbers on day 3: a retrospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate clinical outcomes after frozen-thawed blastocyst transfer (TBT) with blastocysts which were derived from different cell numbers on day 3. METHODS: The study included 1444 patients undergoing single autologous frozen-thawed blastocyst transfer cycles, which were allocated to five groups according to the cell numbers on day 3 of the transferred blastocysts: ≤ 6-cell (n = 109), 7-cell (n = 169), 8-cell (n = 811), 9-cell (n = 136), and ≥ 10-cell (n = 219). RESULTS: The LBR of the ≤ 6-cell group was found to be statistically lower than that of the 8-cell group in single TBT cycles which had been transferred with fair quality blastocysts (defined as 4BB according to Gardner's grading scale) (41.28% vs 55.73%, P = 0.004), while the miscarriage rate was significantly higher for the ≤ 6-cell group compared with the 8-cell group (25.00% vs 13.74%, P = 0.02). No differences were found between the two groups in terms of cPR (P = 0.06). However, for blastocysts categorized as high quality according to Gardner's classification (defined as 4AA/4AB/4BA), cPR, LBR, and early miscarriage rates did not differ between the two groups (P = 0.76, P = 0.44, P = 0.40, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: When transferring blastocysts, an evaluation of the cleavage stage should be performed along with blastocyst morphology to shorten the time of conceiving.

Comparative analysis of calculating sigma metrics by a trueness verification proficiency testing-based approach and an internal quality control data inter-laboratory comparison-based approach.

INTRODUCTION: Two methods were compared for evaluating the sigma metrics of clinical biochemistry tests using two different allowable total error (TEa) specifications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The imprecision (CV%) and bias (bias%) of 19 clinical biochemistry analytes were calculated using a trueness verification proficiency testing (TPT)-based approach and an internal quality control data inter-laboratory comparison (IQC)-based approach, respectively. Two sources of total allowable error (TEa), the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA '88) and the People's Republic of China Health Industry Standard (WS/T 403-2012), were used to calculate the sigma metrics (σCLIA, σWS/T ). Sigma metrics were calculated to provide a single value for assessing the quality of each test based on a single concentration level. RESULTS: For both approaches, σCLIA  > σWS/T in 18 out of 19 assays. For the TPT-based approach, 16 assays showed σCLIA  > 3, and 12 assays showed σWS/T  > 3. For the IQC-based approach, 19 and 16 assays showed σCLIA  > 3 and σWS/T  > 3, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Both methods can be used as references for calculating sigma metrics and designing QC schedules in clinical laboratories. Sigma metrics should be evaluated comprehensively by different approaches.

Over Ten-Cell Good Embryo Transfers on Day Three have Equivalent Clinical Outcomes with Those of Eight-Cell Embryos in Female Patients Aged ≤35 Years: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND/AIM: To compare the clinical outcomes between > 10- and 8-cell good quality embryos on day 3. METHODS: A retrospective study of a cohort of 459 patients was included in the fresh embryo transfer (ET) cycle group from January 2009 to April 2016. In this group, 2 good quality embryos on day 3, were transferred on corresponding dates, in 75 patients (> 10-cell embryos), and in 384 patients (8-cell embryos). Seven hundred and forty four patients, with 1 blastocyst transferred derived from > 10-cell (n = 183) or 8-cell (n = 561) good quality embryos on day 3, were assigned in the frozen ET (FET) group. RESULTS: In the ET group, the clinical pregnancy and live birth rates of the > 10-cell transfer patients were comparable with those of the 8-cell transfer group (62.67 vs. 69.27%, 60.00 vs. 59.90%, respectively); however, the miscarriage rate of > 10-cell transfers was significantly lower than that of 8-cell transfers (4.26 vs. 13.53%, p < 0.05). In the FET group, there were no statistically significant differences found in the clinical pregnancy, live birth, and miscarriage rates between one > 10-cell-derived and one 8-cell-derived blastocyst transfers (71.04 vs. 65.78%, 59.02 vs. 54.19%, and 16.92 vs. 17.62%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested that > 10- and 8-cell, good quality embryos on day 3, had comparable viability and clinical outcomes.

Comparison of two protocols of blastocyst biopsy submitted to preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies: a randomized controlled trial.

PURPOSE: To compare the effectiveness of two protocols of blastocyst biopsy submitted to preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies (PGT-A). METHODS: This is a randomized controlled trial of a cohort of 221 patients undergoing PGT-A. 106 female patients aged ≤ 40 years with no less than 8 mature oocytes retrieved and ≥ 3 good-quality embryos on day 3 were randomly assigned to the day-3 hatching-based TE biopsy. The remaining 115 females aged ≤ 40 years with ≥ 8 MII oocytes obtained and no less than 3 high-quality embryos on day 3 were assigned to the TE biopsy without hatching group (also called the new biopsy group). The primary outcome was measured by a live birth after the first embryo transfer. RESULTS: The live birth rate did not differ significantly between the two groups (50.00% vs. 59.26%, P > 0.05, OR 1.46; 95% CI 0.78-2.70). There was no significant between-group difference in the rates of implantation, clinical pregnancy, and miscarriage. However, the frozen blastocyst rate was significantly lower in the day-3 hatching-based TE biopsy compared with the new biopsy group (47.54% vs. 53.96%, P < 0.05, OR 1.29; 95% CI 1.08-1.56). CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides strong evidence that the new blastocyst biopsy method exhibits advantages over day-3 hatching-based TE biopsy method. Using this method, we were able to obtain more blastocysts to perform trophectoderm biopsy in patients subjected to PGT-A.

Using time-lapse technology to explore vacuolization in embryos on Day 3 and Day 4.

PURPOSE: To investigate the occurrence and development state of embryo vacuoles between the 8-cell and morula stages, and to explore how vacuoles affected the development of embryos. METHODS: A retrospective study of a cohort of 422 patients undergoing conventional in vitro fertilization or intracytoplasmic sperm injection. With the help of time-lapse imaging, the development processes and outcomes of good quality embryos with or without vacuoles were analyzed. RESULTS: Vacuole positive embryos had significantly lower blastulation rate and good quality blastulation rate than vacuole negative embryos, p < 0.05. Compared to vacuole negative embryos, the number of best and good quality blastocysts was significantly reduced, while the number of fair and discarded ones was significantly increased, p < 0.05. The average starting time of vacuolization was 73.7 ± 9.3 h after insemination. The proportion of blastomeres affected by vacuoles was associated with embryonic developmental potential. CONCLUSIONS: Vacuolization on Day 3 and Day 4 was frequently observed and was detrimental to embryo development. The proportion of blastomeres affected by vacuoles may be an indicator of embryo developmental potential.

Seasonal incidence of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm and the influence of atmospheric pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA) is a life-threatening condition with a high mortality rate. Seasonal variations in the incidence of rAAA and the influence of atmospheric pressure have been studied throughout decades; however, the conclusions are contradictory. Therefore, we aimed to conduct a meta-analysis and systematic review of literature on seasonal variations in rAAA incidence and the influence of atmospheric pressure. Studies investigating seasonal variations in rAAA incidence and influence of atmospheric pressure were retrieved. For dichotomous data, we generated risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for rAAA incidence compared among seasons. The studies were subdivided according to latitude, elevation, and climatic types, for subgroup comparisons. Studies reporting monthly incidence and seasonal mortality were further investigated. For continuous data, standardized mean differences (SMDs) and 95% CIs were generated for atmospheric pressure comparisons. Twenty-four eligible studies were included, comprising a total of 38,506 patients with rAAA. Pooled rAAA incidence was 25% in spring, 23% in summer, 26% in autumn, and 26% in winter. Pooled analysis demonstrated a statistically significant higher rAAA incidence in winter than in summer (RR 1.10, P = 0.04) and in autumn than in summer (RR 1.11, P < 0.00001). However, there was no statistically significant difference among other seasons. In the study of the influence of atmospheric pressure, no statistically significant difference was observed. In conclusion, our study revealed a higher incidence of rAAA in autumn and winter than in summer; however, atmospheric pressure was found to exert no influence.

Conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI): which is preferred for advanced age patients with five or fewer oocytes retrieved?

PURPOSE: To investigate the clinical outcomes of conventional IVF and ICSI in female patients aged 40 years and over with no more than five oocytes retrieved and non-male factor infertility. METHODS: A retrospective study of a cohort of 644 patients undergoing IVF/ICSI treatment. The 534 female patients aged ≧ 40 years with no more than five oocytes retrieved and non-male factor infertility undergoing their first conventional IVF cycles were assigned in IVF group. The rest of 110 patients aged 40 years and over with no more than five oocytes retrieved and non-male factor infertility undergoing first ICSI cycles were recruited in ICSI group. RESULTS: Our results showed the clinical pregnancy, live birth and miscarriage rates were similar between the IVF and ICSI groups (21.59% vs. 13.25%, P > 0.05; 12.16% vs. 6.02%, P > 0.05; 43.68% vs. 54.55%, P > 0.05; respectively), however, the implantation and cumulative live-birth rates were significantly higher in the IVF compared to the ICSI group (15.11% vs. 7.75%, 14.59% vs. 5.56%, P < 0.05), though the IVF group had a lower normal fertilization rate (61.56% vs. 76.00%, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides strong evidences that the conventional IVF exhibits advantages over the ICSI method in non-male factor infertility for advanced age patients with five or fewer oocytes retrieved.

[Plasmakinetic energy transurethral resection versus transurethral bipolar plasmakinetic enucleation and resection of the prostate in the treatment of BPH with the prostate volume <100 ml].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of plasmakinetic energy transurethral resection of the prostate (PKRP) versus that of transurethral bipolar plasmakinetic enucleation and resection of the prostate (PKERP) on the bladder function, sexual function and incidence of complications in BPH patients with the prostate volume <100 ml. METHODS: We randomly assigned 140 BPH patients with the prostate volume <100 ml to receive PKRP (n = 70) or PKERP (n = 70) in our hospital from July 2013 to July 2015. We compared the maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax), residual urine volume (RUV), and the rates of ED and retrograde ejaculation before and after surgery as well as the incidence of postoperative complications between the two groups of patients. RESULTS: The Qmax and RUV of the patients were (25.11 ± 7.12) ml/s and (4.06 ± 1.74) ml in the PKERP group postoperatively, significantly improved as compared with the baseline (ï¼»8.60 ± 2.33ï¼½ ml/s and ï¼»66.85 ± 14.33ï¼½ ml, P < 0.05), and even better than (18.87 ± 4.07) ml/s and (9.45 ± 2.66) ml in the PKRP group (P < 0.05). The incidence rates of ED and retrograde ejaculation were 61.43% and 28.57% in the PKRP group, significantly higher than in the PKERP group (40.00% and 14.29%) (P < 0.05) and the baseline (35.71% and 10.00%) (P < 0.05). The postoperative incidence rate of transient urinary incontinence was remarkably higher in the PKERP than in the PKRP group (22.86% vs 8.57%, P < 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in the incidence rates of secondary hemorrhage, urethral injury, or genuine urinary incontinence after operation (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with PKRP, PKERP can effectively improve the clinical symptoms and signs and protect the bladder function of the BPH patients with the prostate volume <100 ml, but may increase the risk of transient urinary incontinence.

Rhodococcus gannanensis sp. nov., a novel endophytic actinobacterium isolated from root of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.).

A novel Gram-positive, aerobic, non-motile strain, designated strain M1T, was isolated from sunflower root (Helianthus annuus L.) and characterised using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. The morphological and chemotaxonomic properties of the isolate were typical of those of members of the genus Rhodococcus. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequence showed that strain M1T belongs to the genus Rhodococcus and clustered with Rhodococcus canchipurensis MBRL 353T (99.1%, sequence similarity) and Rhodococcus pedocola UC12T (98.7%). However, the DNA-DNA hybridizations between strain M1T and R. canchipurensis MBRL 353T and R. pedocola UC12T were found to be 52.8 ± 0.7 and 41.8 ± 0.2%, respectively. The optimal growth temperature and pH for strain M1T was found to be at 28 °C and at pH 7.0. The peptidoglycan was found to contain meso-diaminopimelic acid; galactose, glucose and arabinose were detected as diagnostic sugars. The main polar lipids were identified as diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylinositol mannoside; MK-8(H2) was found to be the dominant menaquinone. The major fatty acids were identified as C16:0, 10-methyl C18:0 and C18:1 ω9c. Mycolic acids were found to be present. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was determined to be 69.5 mol%. Based on a comparative analysis of phenotypic and genotypic characteristics, in combination with DNA-DNA hybridization results, the isolate is concluded to represent a novel species of the genus Rhodococcus, for which the name Rhodococcus gannanensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is M1T (=CGMCC 1.15992T = DSM 104003T).