Creeping and erupting dynamics in a pure-quartic soliton fiber laser.

Pure-quartic solitons (PQSs) are gradually becoming a hotspot in recent years due to their potential advantage to achieve high energy. Meanwhile, the fundamental research of PQSs is still in the fancy stage, and exploring soliton dynamics can promote the development of PQSs. Herein, we comprehensively and numerically investigate the impact of saturation power, small-signal gain, and output coupler on PQS dynamics in passively mode-locked fiber lasers. The result indicates that altering the above parameters makes PQSs exhibit pulsating or creeping dynamics similar to traditional solitons. Moreover, introducing an intra-cavity filter combined with intra-cavity large fourth-order dispersion makes PQSs go through stationary, pulsating to erupting. That is, the intra-cavity filter changes PQS dynamics. These findings provide new insights into PQS dynamics in fiber lasers.

Down-regulation of c-Myc expression inhibits the invasion of bile duct carcinoma cells.

Cholangiocarcinoma is the second most common primary hepatic tumour originating from biliary tract epithelial cells with poor prognosis. Enhanced c-Myc protein expression contributes to many aspects of tumour cell biology. Although the ability of c-Myc to drive unrestricted cell proliferation and to inhibit cell differentiation had been well recognized, whether down-regulated c-Myc expression can inhibit tumour cell invasion still remains to be explored. The c-Myc ASODN (antisense oligodeoxyribonucleotide) and NSODN (nonsense oligodeoxyribonucleotide) were designed, synthesized and transfected into human QBC939 bile duct carcinoma cells using the Lipofectamine 2000 reagent. The protein expression of c-Myc was detected by Western blot. A transwell experiment was applied to evaluate the invasive capacity of the QBC939 cells. c-Myc ASODN could significantly suppress the c-Myc protein expression (P<0.05) and the invasion (P<0.01) of QBC939 cells transfected with c-Myc ASODN compared with that in the control and c-Myc NSODN-transfected group. Thus in the present study we show that down-regulation of c-Myc expression can inhibit the invasion of QBC939 cells in vitro.

[Fluorine speciation in soil and the remediation of fluorine contaminated soil]. / 土壤氟形态与氟污染土壤修复.

In China, fluoride pollution in soil is severe and poses a serious threat to human health and ecological security. However, how to control fluorine-contaminated soil has not received widespread attention. Here, we summarized fluorine speciation in soil and its main chemical reactions in water-soil system and reviewed the research progress on the remediation of fluorine-contaminated soils. Then, we proposed the focus of future research on fluorine-contaminated soil remediation. The aim of this review was providing the reference for the remediation of fluoride-contaminated soil. There are five forms of fluorine in soils, with the proportion of residual fluorine being over 90%. The reactions of fluorine in the soil solution mainly include precipitation-dissolution, complexation-dissociation, and adsorption-desorption. At present, the remediation technology of fluorine contaminated soil mainly focused on chemo-immobilization, chemical leaching, electrokinetic remediation, and phytoremediation. Clarifying the combined forms of fluorine in soil, screening functional microorga-nisms and plants, developing the combined remediation technology will be the focus of future research. Ultimately, on site fluorine-contaminated soil remediation could be implemented.

The study of retinal ganglion cell apoptosis induced by different intensities of microwave irradiation.

PURPOSE: To observe the influence on the retinal ganglion cells induced by 2,450-MHz microwave. The radiant intensities were 10, 30 and 60 mW x cm(-2). METHODS: Retinal ganglion cells were cultured in vitro and divided into 4 groups, of which 3 were exposed to different intensities of microwaves and 1 was the control group. The morphological variation of cells was observed by invert microscope. The survival rate was assessed by trypan blue. Annexin V-PI 2-color flow cytometry was used to detect the percentage of earlier apoptosis cells after radiation. RESULTS: The changes in the morphology of all cells were observed after radiation. The cell survival rates were reduced and the earlier apoptosis increased with growing microwave intensity. CONCLUSIONS: The 2,450-MHz microwave will cause damage to retinal ganglion cells in a dose-dependent manner.

[Endovascular embolization and microsurgical operation treatment of intracranial anterior circulation aneurysms].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the surgical treatment and effect of intracranial anterior circulation aneurysms. METHODS: Thirty-eight patients with intracranial anterior circulation aneurysms were enrolled, 9 were treated with endovascular embolization,and 29 with pterion approach micro-euthyphoria operation. RESULTS: One patient was postoperative death. Thirty-four patients were followed up. Among them, 26 were recovery, 1 was botan animation, 2 were meta-palsy, 3 oculomotor palsy, and 2 epilepsy. CONCLUSION: Surgical treatment of intracranial anterior circulation aneurysms is the first choice to help blood tumor cleaning-up and intracranial pressure degrading. Embolotherapy can be applied for patients unfit for operation, but we do not recommend wide use of it due to preoperative cranial nerve injury.

Simvastatin inhibits tissue factor and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 secretion by peripheral blood mononuclear cells in patients with primary nephrotic syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Tissue factor (TF) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) activity and/or expression are upregulated in nephrotic syndrome. Despite extensive research on antithrombotic effect of statins, little is known about their effects on TF and PAI-1 expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in patients with primary nephrotic syndrome(PNS). METHODS: PBMCs were isolated by gradient centrifugation from 25 individuals with PNS and 25 healthy subjects. TF and PAI-1 mRNA were detected by RT-PCR. The activities of TF and PAI-1 were determined with ELISA and chromogenic substrate method, respectively. The patients with PNS were then treated with simvastatin 40 mg/day for 2 weeks. The activities of TF, PAI-1 and TF, PAI-1 mRNA of PBMCs were also measured. RESULTS: Compared with controls, patients with PNS had increased TF, PAI-1 secretion by PBMCs at baseline (70.4 +/- 15.6 ng/l vs. 32.7 +/- 8.2 ng/l; 15.9 +/- 2.4 (x10(3) AU/l) vs. 3.9 +/- 1.5(x10(3) AU/l), P<0.01) and after stimulated by LPS (10 ng/mL) (89.2 +/- 13.4 ng/l vs. 49.5 +/- 10.3 ng/l; 23.8 +/- 3.3 (x10(3) AU/l) vs. 8.1 +/- 2.1, P<0.01). The simvastatin treatment resulted in a significant effect in decreasing TF and PAI-1 (69.1 +/- 14.6 ng/l vs. 89.2 +/- 13.4 ng/l; 16.5 +/- 4.8 (x10(3) AU/l) vs. 23.8 +/- 3.3 (x10(3) AU/l), P<0.05) secretion in PBMCs. Increased TF and PAI-1 mRNA expression in PBMCs from PNS (1.034 +/- 0.043 and 0.982 +/- 0.056, respectively) as compared to the control (0.221 +/- 0.015 and 0.221 +/- 0.015, respectively) (p<0.01). two-week simvastatin treatment resulted in significant decrease of TF (0.535 +/- 0.028, p<0.01) and PAI-1 mRNA (0.602 +/- 0.037, p<0.01). CONCLUSION: TF and PAI-1 mRNA expression and activities in PBMCs were increased in PNS. Simvastatin reduced TF and PAI-1 expression and activity in PBMCs. These effects may partially be relevant to the clinical benefits of statins in the treatment of PNS.

Synergistic effects of pravastatin and pioglitazone in renal tubular epithelial cells induced by transforming growth factor-beta1.

Recent studies suggest that treatment with PPAR-gamma agonists and statins have beneficial effects on renal disease. However, the combined effects of PPAR-gamma agonists and statins in human renal epithelial cells are unknown. Our present study revealed that there were synergistic effects of pravastatin and pioglitazone in the expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA), connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), fibronectin (FN), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and collagen 1 in human renal proximal tubular epithelial cells induced by transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta1). The beneficial effects of combined therapy against renal tubular epithelial cell injury are attributed, at least in part, to the inhibition of transdifferentiation, extracellular matrix deposition and cytokine production.