Non-Hermitian Moiré Valley Filter.

A valley filter capable of generating a valley-polarized current is a crucial element in valleytronics, yet its implementation remains challenging. Here, we propose a valley filter made of a graphene bilayer which exhibits a 1D moiré pattern in the overlapping region of the two layers controlled by heterostrain. In the presence of a lattice modulation between layers, electrons propagating in one layer can have valley-dependent dissipation due to valley asymmetric interlayer coupling, thus giving rise to a valley-polarized current. Such a process can be described by an effective non-Hermitian theory, in which the valley filter is driven by a valley-resolved non-Hermitian skin effect. Nearly 100% valley polarization can be achieved within a wide parameter range and the functionality of the valley filter is electrically tunable. The non-Hermitian topological scenario of the valley filter ensures high tolerance against imperfections such as disorder and edge defects. Our work opens a new route for efficient and robust valley filters while significantly relaxing the stringent implementation requirements.

Tomasch Oscillations as Above-Gap Signature of Topological Superconductivity.

The identification of topological superconductors usually involves searching for in-gap modes that are protected by topology. However, in current experimental settings, the smoking-gun evidence of these in-gap modes is still lacking. In this Letter, we propose to support the distinction between two-dimensional conventional s-wave and topological p-wave superconductors by above-gap transport signatures. Our method utilizes the emergence of Tomasch oscillations of quasiparticles in a junction consisting of a superconductor sandwiched between two metallic leads. We demonstrate that the behavior of the oscillations in conductance as a function of the interface barriers provides a distinctive signature for s-wave and p-wave superconductors. Specifically, the oscillations become weaker as the barrier strength increases in s-wave superconductors, while they become more pronounced in p-wave superconductors, which we prove to be a direct manifestation of the pairing symmetries. Our method can serve as a complimentary probe for identifying some classes of topological superconductors through the above-gap transport.

Entanglement of Nambu Spinors and Bell Inequality Test without Beam Splitters.

The identification of electronic entanglement in solids remains elusive so far, which is owed to the difficulty of implementing spinor-selective beam splitters with tunable polarization direction. Here, we propose to overcome this obstacle by producing and detecting a particular type of entanglement encoded in the Nambu spinor or electron-hole components of quasiparticles excited in quantum Hall edge states. Because of the opposite charge of electrons and holes, the detection of the Nambu spinor translates into a charge-current measurement, which eliminates the need for beam splitters and assures a high detection rate. Conveniently, the spinor correlation function at fixed effective polarizations derives from a single current-noise measurement, with the polarization directions of the detector easily adjusted by coupling the edge states to a voltage gate and a superconductor, both having been realized in experiments. We show that the violation of Bell inequality occurs in a large parameter region. Our Letter opens a new route for probing quasiparticle entanglement in solid-state physics exempt from traditional beam splitters.

[Development of a Ranking Tool for Scientificity, Transparency and Applicability of Clinical Practice Guidelines].

Objective: To address the limitations of existing methods and tools for evaluating clinical practice guidelines, we aimed to develop a comprehensive instrument focusing on the three main dimensions of guideline development: scientificity, transparency, applicability. We will use it to rank the guidelines according to the scores. We abbreviated it as STAR, and its reliability, validity and usability were also tested. Methods: A multidisciplinary expert working group was set up, including methodologists, statisticians, journal editors, medical professionals, and others. Scoping review, Delphi methods and hierarchical analysis were used to determine the final checklist of STAR. Results: The new instrument contained 11 domains and 39 items. Intrinsic reliability of each domain was indicated by Cronbach's α coefficient, with a average value of 0.646. The Cohen's kappa coefficients for methodological evaluators and clinical evaluators were 0.783 and 0.618. The overall content validity index was 0.905. The R2 for the criterion validity analysis was 0.76. The average score for usability of the items was 4.6, and the mean time spent to evaluate each guideline was 20 minutes. Conclusion: The instrument has good reliability, validity and evaluating efficiency, and can be used for evaluating and ranking guidelines more comprehensively.

[Correlation analysis between children and adolescents watching food TV advertising and fast food consumption].

Based on the open data of China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS), 249 children, adolescents and 249 heads of families who completed two rounds of surveys in 2011 and 2015 were selected in this study. According to the fast food consumption of children and adolescents, they were divided into fast food consumption group and non-fast food consumption group. Logistic regression model was used to analyze the relationship between children and adolescents watching Food TV advertising and fast food consumption. After adjusting relevant factors, the results showed that children and adolescents requiring their parents to buy food in TV advertisements (OR=3.122, P=0.001), parents buying food for their children in TV advertisements (OR=4.717, P=0.036), children and adolescents buying food in TV advertisements themselves (OR=3.728, P=0.041), children and adolescents' preference for food in TV advertisements (OR=2.946, P=0.044) and the frequency of children and adolescents reported by their parents asking their parents to buy food in TV advertisements (OR=3.113, P=0.002) were associated with children and adolescents' fast food consumption.

[Knobloch syndrome: a case report].

A 5-year-old girl came to the Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital in May 2021 because of her poor eyesight after birth. The physical examination showed that she had high myopia, esotropia, horizontal tremor, and high myopia retinopathy of both eyes. After inquiring about her medical history, we found that the baby's occipital cystic mass swelled after birth, and CT examination showed that the occipital skull plate defect with meningocele, but without treatment, at present, the occipital mass had subsided by itself. Considering the eye manifestations and skull changes of the child, it may be conformed to Knobloch syndrome, after the detection of V4 by full exon gene, it was found that the child had the compound heterozygous variation of pathogenic gene COL18A1, and Knobloch syndrome was definite, Knobloch syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive hereditary disease with typical features of high myopia, retinal detachment and occipital encephalocele. At present, there is no clear treatment plan, and gene therapy may be an effective treatment for Knobloch syndrome in the future.

Quantum Oscillations of the Positive Longitudinal Magnetoconductivity: A Fingerprint for Identifying Weyl Semimetals.

Weyl semimetals (WSMs) host charged Weyl fermions as emergent quasiparticles. We develop a unified analytical theory for the anomalous positive longitudinal magnetoconductivity (LMC) in a WSM, which bridges the gap between the classical and ultraquantum approaches. More interestingly, the LMC is found to exhibit periodic-in-1/B quantum oscillations, originating from the oscillations of the nonequilibrium chiral chemical potential. The quantum oscillations, superposed on the positive LMC, are a remarkable fingerprint of a WSM phase with a chiral anomaly, whose observation is a valid criteria for identifying a WSM material. In fact, such quantum oscillations were already observed by several experiments.

Photon-Induced Weyl Half-Metal Phase and Spin Filter Effect from Topological Dirac Semimetals.

Recently discovered Dirac semimetals (DSMs) with two Dirac nodes, such as Na_{3}Bi and Cd_{2}As_{3}, are regarded as carrying the Z_{2} topological charge in addition to the chiral charge. We study the Floquet phase transition of Z_{2} topological DSMs subjected to a beam of circularly polarized light. Owing to the resulting interplay of the chiral and Z_{2} charges, the Weyl nodes are not only chirality dependent but also spin dependent, which constrains the behavior in creation and annihilation of the pair of Weyl nodes. Interestingly, we find a novel phase: One spin band is in the Weyl semimetal phase while the other is in the insulator phase, and we dub it the Weyl half-metal (WHM) phase. We further study the spin-dependent transport in a Dirac-Weyl semimetal junction and find a spin filter effect as a fingerprint of the existence of the WHM phase. The proposed spin filter effect, based on the WHM bulk band, is highly tunable in a broad parameter regime and robust against magnetic disorder, which is expected to overcome the shortcomings of the previously proposed spin filter based on the topological edge or surface states. Our results offer a unique opportunity to explore the potential applications of topological DSMs in spintronics.

Spatial association between outdoor air pollution and lung cancer incidence in China.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is the most common cancer in China. Previous studies have indicated that lung cancer incidence exhibits remarkable spatial heterogeneity, and lung cancer is related to outdoor air pollution. However, the non-linear spatial association between outdoor air pollution and lung cancer incidence in China remains unclear. METHODS: In this study, the relationships between the lung cancer incidence of males and females from 207 counties in China in 2013 with annual concentrations of PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, CO and O3 were analysed. GeoDetector q statistic was used for examining the non-linear spatial association between outdoor air pollution and incidence of lung cancer. RESULTS: An apparent spatial and population gender heterogeneity was found in the spatial association between outdoor air pollution and lung cancer incidence. Among the six selected pollutants, SO2 has the greatest influence on lung cancer (q = 0.154 in females) in north China. In the south, each selected pollutant has a significant impact on males or females, and the mean q value in the south is 0.181, which is bigger than that in the north (q = 0.154). In addition, the pollutants have evident non-linear interaction effects on lung cancer. In north China, the interaction between SO2 and PM2.5 is the dominant interaction, with q values of 0.207 in males and 0.334 in females. In the south, the dominant interactive factors are between SO2 and O3 in males and between SO2 and CO in females, with q values of 0.45, 0.232 respectively. Smoking is a substantial contributor to lung cancer among men, either in South or North China, with q value of 0.143 and 0.129 respectively, and the interaction between smoking and air pollutants increases this risk. CONCLUSIONS: This study implies that the influence of SO2 and PM2.5 on lung cancer should be focused on in north China, and in the south, the impact of O3 and CO as well as their interaction with SO2 need to be paid more attention. Smoking, particularly in men, remains a significant risk factor for lung cancer in both North and South China.

[Exploration on developing the diagnosis and treatment guidelines for osteoarthritis in primary care of China].

At present, several clinical practice guidelines for osteoarthritis have been developed. Although contradictions about some recommendations are still in dispute, large number of clinical practice guidelines recommended core treatments, namely education, weight loss and exercise therapy. Thus, the diagnosis and treatment of primary osteoarthritis should focus on the above three treatments. However, we have to develop the clinical practice guidelines for osteoarthritis in primary hospital, based on the characteristics of osteoarthritis in China, the burden of disease, the health literacy of patients and the clinical decision-making of diagnosis and treatment of primary osteoarthritis in primary medical care.We suggest to formulate guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of osteoarthritis in primary medical care to regulate primary interventions.

Intra-articular injection of mesenchymal stem cells in treating knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review of animal studies.

PURPOSE: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) injection has emerged as a novel treatment for knee osteoarthritis (KOA) but with inconsistent results in the experimental studies. Thus, the purpose of the present study is to evaluate the preclinical animal studies of MSCs injection for KOA and to determine the evidence for a role for MSCs in further clinical trials. METHODS: A systematic search of KOA animal studies published through Aug 2017 was conducted using the PubMed, Embase and Web of science. Criteria for eligibility were animal studies assessing the therapeutic effects of MSCs intra-articular injection to animals with KOA. The methodological quality of included studies was assessed by the SYRCLE tool for assessing risk of bias in animal intervention studies. Descriptive synthesis was performed. Evidence quality was evaluated based on the Confidence in the Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative research (CERQual) tool. RESULTS: Twenty-three KOA animal studies were eligible for inclusion. According to the SYRCLE's tool, all included studies had high risk of bias. Between-study heterogeneity was substantial. The included studies varied in terms of species, modeling methods, MSCs origin, treatment timing, injections frequency, transplantation type and dose of MSCs. The following outcomes, gross morphology, histological analysis, immunohistochemical analysis, radiological evaluation or behavior analysis, were reported in the primary studies. For all outcomes, the evidence quality was low or very low. CONCLUSIONS: We do not have absolute confidence to recommend use MSCs injection for KOA clinical trials. Based on the internal and external validity of current animal studies, high quality experimental studies and efforts for effective translation from preclinical studies to clinical trials are still required.

[Progress in methodological characteristics of clinical practice guideline for osteoarthritis].

At present, several clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of osteoarthritis have been developed by institutes or societies. The ultimate purpose of developing clinical practice guidelines is to formulate the process in the treatment of osteoarthritis effectively. However, the methodologies used in developing clinical practice guidelines may place an influence on the transformation and application of that in treating osteoarthritis. The present study summarized the methodological features of individual clinical practice guideline and presented the tools for quality evaluation of clinical practice guideline. The limitations of current osteoarthritis guidelines of China are also indicated. The review article might help relevant institutions improve the quality in developing guide and clinical transformation.

[Effects of vacuum sealing drainage technique in acute and chronic suppurative tenosynovitis of hand].

Objective: To investigate the effects of vacuum sealing drainage technique in acute and chronic suppurative tenosynovitis of hand. Methods: A total of 9 cases acute and chronic suppurative tenosynovitis patients from January 2013 to April 2015 in Puai Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology were retrospectively reviewed. There were 6 males and 3 females, aging from 27 to 65 years, the average age was 55 years. There were 3 cases of index finger, 3 cases of middle finger, 2 cases of ring finger, 1 case include three fingers. The infection causes included stabbing with fishbone in 3 cases, stabbing with animal bone fragments in 3 cases, wound by sawdust in 3 cases, meat grinder injury in 1 case, multiple fingers crush injury postoperative infection of garbage truck in 1 case. Bacterial infection included 2 cases with Staphylococcus aureus, 2 cases with Staphylococcus epidermidis, 1 case with normal Escherichia coli, 1 case with mixed infection of Enterobacter aerogenes, Klebsiella oxytoca and Staphylococcus, 1 case with Bauman Acinetobacter bacillus, 1 case with Proteus mirabilis and 1 case of no growth of pathogenic bacteria culture. After thorough debridement, vacuum sealing drainage was used to observe the characteristics of irrigation fluid, the formation of cavity inflammation, the prognosis of infection and the recovery of finger function. Results: Seven patients with suppurative tenosynovitis were treated for 7 to 14 days, replaced the vacuum sealing drainage dressing once; 1 patient was an illustration of the finger tip defect flap infected patients after 21 days of treatment, replaced the vacuum sealing drainage dressing twice, 1 patient was an illustration of the central refers to trauma, postoperative infection patients 28 d, replaced three times in the VSD. The follow-up time was 3 to 12 months (mean 8.2 months), 7 patients without tendon necrosis, secondary suture with no infection, 2 cases of traumatic surgery of patients with infection, tendon necrosis was removed, the infection has been effectively controlled, secondary suture with no infection. There were 6 cases were good and 3 cases were poor in the evaluation of postoperative finger function. Conclusion: Thoroughly debridement after vacuum sealing drainage in the treatment of suppurative tenosynovitis of hand has satisfactory curative effect.

π Spin Berry Phase in a Quantum-Spin-Hall-Insulator-Based Interferometer: Evidence for the Helical Spin Texture of the Edge States.

The quantum spin Hall insulator is characterized by helical edge states, with the spin polarization of the electron being locked to its direction of motion. Although the edge-state conduction has been observed, unambiguous evidence of the helical spin texture is still lacking. Here, we investigate the coherent edge-state transport in an interference loop pinched by two point contacts. Because of the helical character, the forward interedge scattering enforces a π spin rotation. Two successive processes can only produce a nontrivial 2π or trivial 0 spin rotation, which can be controlled by the Rashba spin-orbit coupling. The nontrivial spin rotation results in a geometric π Berry phase, which can be detected by a π phase shift of the conductance oscillation relative to the trivial case. Our results provide smoking gun evidence for the helical spin texture of the edge states. Moreover, it also provides the opportunity to all electrically explore the trajectory-dependent spin Berry phase in condensed matter.

Dexmedetomidine protected COPD-induced lung injury by regulating miRNA-146a.

OBJECTIVE: To study the mechanism of protection provided by dexmedetomidine against COPD-induced lung injury. METHODS: COPD rat model was determined by measuring lung function, and comparing HE staining between two different groups. We got the lung tissue and cells from the control and COPD groups. The cells were divided into three groups: control group, and blank and drug groups that were from the COPD rats. Cell apoptosis, relative gene expression and TNF-α and IL-1ß from nutrient solution were measured. RESULTS: The TV, PEF, EF50, FEV0.3 and FEV0.3/FVC in COPD group were significantly lower than in control group (1.26±0.17 vs 2.65±0.21; 17.61±0.35 vs 38.55±0.24; 1.20±0.14 vs 1.81±0.06; 2.52±0.28 vs 4.44±0.26; 63.39±0.22 vs 88.45±0.34, p < 0.05, respectively). Cell apoptosis was significantly different in blank and drug groups (21.65±0.86 vs 10.74±0.15; p < 0.05, respectively). The gene expressions of miRNA-146a, p53 and Bcl-2 were significantly downregulated compared with blank group. CONCLUSION: Dexmedetomidine protected COPD-induced lung injury by inhibiting miRNA-146a expression to reduce cell apoptosis (Tab. 1, Fig. 3, Ref. 25).

Effect of transplantation of marrow mesenchymal stem cells transfected with insulin-like growth factor-1 gene on fracture healing of rats with diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of transplantation of marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) transfected with insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) on fracture healing of rats with diabetes and discuss the gene therapy for diabetic fracture. METHODS: 60 8-week-old male Wistar rats weighing 180-200 g were divided into the control group and experimental group at random. All of them suffered from right tibia fracture following the model of diabetes induced by streptozotocin. BMSCs were transfected with Ad- IGF-1 and BMSCs of the appropriate group were transplanted to part of the fracture area. 6 rats were selected from each group at 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 weeks after the surgery. Local bone callus was stained with hematoxylin-eosin (H-E) and IGF-1 in the bone callus and serum was tested. RESULTS: Osteoid tissues formed at 3 weeks in the experimental group; mature lamellar bone formed at 7 weeks in the experimental group; fibrous bone callus was observed in the control group. IGF-1 in bone callus of the experimental group is increasing and significantly different from that of the control group (p < 0.05). Concentrations of IGF-1 in the serum of the two groups were increasing gradually from the first week. The control group reached its peak in the 5th week. The experimental group reached a high concentration in the 5th week and maintained a high concentration in the 7th week. The differences at various times between the two groups have statistical significance (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Transplantation of BMSCs transfected with IGF-1 gene can promote fracture healing of rats with diabetes (Tab. 4, Fig. 1, Ref. 20).

Association between use of benzodiazepines and risk of fractures: a meta-analysis.

UNLABELLED: Benzodiazepines (BZDs) are some of the most commonly prescribed drugs in the world. It has been shown that BZD use could be associated with increased fracture risk. However, studies on the use of BZDs and fracture risk have yielded inconsistent results. Results from the present meta-analysis show that BZD use is associated with a moderate and clinically significant increase in the risk of fractures. INTRODUCTION: The relationship between the use of BZDs and fracture risk has been neither well identified nor summarized. This meta-analysis reports on the use of BZDs, especially short-acting BZDs, and their correlation with a moderate and clinically significant increase in fracture risk. This analysis will provide evidence for clinicians to consider fracture risk when prescribing BZDs among the elderly population. This study was conducted to determine whether people who take BZDs are at an increased fracture risk. METHODS: A systematic search of studies published through January 2013 was conducted using MEDLINE, EMBASE, OVID, and ScienceDirect. Case-control and cohort studies that assessed the relationship between BZD use and the risk of fractures were identified. Literature searches, study selections, methodological assessments, and data mining were independently conducted by two reviewers. Disagreements were resolved by consensus. STATA 12.0 software was used for the meta-analysis. Random effects models were used for pooled analysis due to heterogeneity among the studies. RESULTS: There were 25 studies, including 19 case-control studies and 6 cohort studies, that met the inclusion criteria. Overall, the results of the meta-analysis indicated that BZD use was associated with a significantly increased fracture risk (relative risk (RR) = 1.25; 95% confidence intervals (CI), 1.17-1.34; p < 0.001). Increased fracture risk associated with BZD use was observed in participants aged ≥65 years old (RR = 1.26; 95% CI, 1.15-1.38; p < 0.001). When only hip fractures were included as the outcome measure, the RR increased to 1.35. However, subgroup meta-analyses showed that there was no significant association between BZD use and fracture risk in Eastern countries (RR = 1.27; 95% CI, 0.76-2.14; p = 0.362) as well as between long-acting BZD use and risk of fractures (RR = 1.21; 95% CI, 0.95-1.54; p = 0.12). After accounting for publication bias, we observed that the overall association between BZD use and fracture risk to be slightly weaker (RR = 1.21; 95% CI, 1.13-1.30) but still significant. CONCLUSION: The results of this meta-analysis demonstrate that the use of BZD, especially short-acting BZD, is associated with a moderate and clinically significant increase in fracture risk. However, large prospective studies that minimize selection bias are necessary to determine a more accurate fracture risk associated with BZD use.

Estrogen alone or in combination with parathyroid hormone can decrease vertebral MEF2 and sclerostin expression and increase vertebral bone mass in ovariectomized rats.

UNLABELLED: The study is about the regulatory effects of estrogen and parathyroid hormone (PTH) on sclerostin, a protein that inhibits the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway. The results indicate that estrogen may down-regulate sclerostin expression and that estrogen displays synergistic action with PTH. These results provide a new perspective on the relationship between estrogen and bone. PURPOSE: To investigate whether estrogen can down-regulate SOST and MEF2 (myocyte enhancer factor 2) expression and whether co-treatment with estrogen and PTH has a stronger effect on suppressing SOST than PTH applied alone in ovariectomized rats. METHODS: Forty-three-month-old virgin female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were ovariectomized and divided into four groups (n = 10). Another ten age-matched rats received sham operations as controls. After allowing 8 weeks for the development of vertebral osteopenia, the rats were administered the drug intervention. For this intervention, the estrogen group was subcutaneously injected with 17ß-estradiol at 25 µg/kg body weight, the PTH group was injected with 80 µg/kg synthetic human PTH (1-34), and the co-treatment group was concurrently treated with PTH and estrogen at the above dosage. The OVX group and sham group were treated with vehicle. The drug treatment was conducted for 12 weeks. After the lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD) was measured, the rats were sacrificed, and the lumbar spine and blood were collected for qPCR, Western blot, immunohistochemistry and other tests. RESULTS: Estrogen can down-regulate MEF2 and sclerostin expression, and co-treatment with estrogen and PTH has a stronger effect on suppressing MEF2 and SOST mRNA than PTH alone. The co-treatment group displayed slightly higher bone mass and biomechanical properties than the PTH group, but the differences were not significant. CONCLUSIONS: Estrogen appears to be a regulator of sclerostin, and the effect may involve suppressing MEF2s. Combined treatment with PTH and estrogen is not more beneficial for vertebral bone mass and strength than treatment with PTH alone in ovariectomized rats.

First Report on the Occurrence of Cucumber mosaic virus on Fragaria ananassa in China.

More than 20 viruses are known to infect strawberry (Fragaria ananassa), and a substantial number of these include new viruses identified since 2000 that can contribute to disease complexes (2). The most serious virus related losses in commercial strawberries are caused by aphid transmitted viruses (3,4,5). A survey was undertaken from 2012 to 2013 to investigate virus prevalence in commercial strawberries in rural areas of Hebei Province around Beijing, China, that were exhibiting virus symptoms. Visual observations revealed that the incidence of virus-like symptoms ranged from 30 to 50% of the plants and these symptoms included yellowing, leaf malformation, sometimes combined with severe stunting and deformed flowers or fruits. Leaf samples were tested for Strawberry vein banding virus (SVBV), Strawberry mottle virus (SMoV), Strawberry mild yellow edge virus (SMYEV), and Strawberry crinkle virus (SCV), which are the four most prevalent aphid-transmitted viruses in single or mixed infections (2). Testing was conducted by RT-PCR using total RNA extracted from fresh symptomatic strawberry leaves (3). SVBV was detected in 58 of 190 samples, but all of the samples tested negative for SMoV, SMYEV, and SCV. Aphids were present on many of the plants, so the samples were tested for Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) because CMV is prevalent in Beijing gardens and farms, and recently had been shown to infect maize in China (5). This RT-PCR was carried out with the CMV primer pair CM420-F (5'-TGATTCTACCGTGTGGGTGA-3') and CM420-R (5'-CCGTAAGCTGGATGGACAAC-3') to amplify a portion of the capsid protein coding region and the conserved 3'non-translated regions of the genomic RNAs. This test revealed the presence of 43 CMV-positives out of 190 samples, and only 16 of these samples were co-infected with both SVBV and CMV. Samples infected with CMV only had leaf malformations and yellowing, while no CMV was found in symptomless samples. One of the amplified, CMV-specific DNA fragments was sequenced directly from the PCR product and showed 93.8% nucleotide sequence identity and 100% amino acid sequence identity to the CMV subgroup I (GenBank Accession No. D10538) (1). Subsequent ELISA tests for the CMV presence verified the RT-PCR results (Agdia, Elkhart, IN), and transmission electron microscopy observations revealed 28 nm spherical particles characteristic of CMV in strawberry samples tested positive for CMV. However, we were unable to detect either CMV or SVBV in 89 of the 169 samples from symptomatic plants, which suggested possible presence of the other pathogen(s). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of natural infections of CMV in strawberry plants. These data suggests that CMV is a potential threat to strawberry production. References: (1) M. Q. K. Andrew et al. Virus taxonomy: IXth Report of the ICTV, 970, Elsevier, 2012. (2) R. R. Martin and I. E. Tzanetakis. Plant Dis. 97:1358, 2013. (3) J. R. Thompson et al. J. Virol. Methods 111:85, 2003. (4) I. E. Tzanetakis et al. Plant Dis. 90:1343, 2006. (5) R. Wang et al. J. Phytopathol. 161: 880, 2013.

Association between aspartic acid repeat polymorphism of the asporin gene and susceptibility to knee osteoarthritis: a genetic meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a common disease that is characterized by the degeneration of joint cartilage in the knee. Genetic factors have been implicated in KOA. Recently, several genetic studies have suggested that susceptibility to KOA is affected by the number of aspartic acid (D) residues in the amino-terminal of the asporin protein, but evidence remains conflicting. Therefore, the objective of the present meta-analysis was to investigate whether or not the D-repeat polymorphism is associated with susceptibility to KOA. METHODS: A systematic search of all relevant studies published through Dec 2012 was conducted using the MEDLINE, EMBASE, OVID, and ScienceDirect. Allelic counts were evaluated for the D14 and D13 alleles respectively. The included studies were only assessed in the analysis of the following allele model: D14 allele vs others alleles combined, D13 allele vs others alleles combined, and D14 allele vs D13 allele. RESULTS: Seven studies (eight comparisons) with 5515 total participants (2334 KOA patients and 3181 controls), which involved four Caucasian and four Asian populations, were eligible for inclusion. Meta-analysis was conducted for genotype D14 vs others combined, D13 vs others combined, and D14 vs D13. In the stratification based on ethnicity, studies were divided into Caucasian and Asian populations. We did not detect positive association between KOA and the D14 allele in Asian populations (OR = 1.527, 95% CI: 0.879-2.653) and in Caucasian populations (OR = 1.053, 95% CI: 0.905-1.225). There was also no positive association between susceptibility to KOA and D13 allele in Asian populations (OR = 0.950, 95% CI: 0.732-1.233) and in Caucasian populations (OR = 0.866, 95% CI: 0.723-1.037). CONCLUSION: The present results suggest that the D-repeat of asporin gene (ASPN) may not be a major susceptibility locus in the Caucasian and Asian populations with KOA. Because of the limitations of the present meta-analysis, accurate conclusions could not be drawn based on the current evidence, and further studies with large sample size are required.