[Comparison of three dimensional CT venography and ascending phlebography based on propensity score matching in the evaluation of recurrent varicose veins].

Objective: To compare the efficacy of lower extremity three dimensional CT venography (CTV) and lower extremity ascending phlebography in evaluating recurrent varicose veins. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data from 235 patients with unilateral recurrent varicose veins who were treated at the Department of Vascular Surgery,Beijing Shijitan Hospital,Capital Medical University, between January 2015 and December 2020.There were 112 males and 123 females, with an age of (62.5±11.4)years (range:24 to 75 years).Patients were stratified into two groups based on preoperative imaging examination:the CTV group (utilizing lower extremity venous ultrasound+lower extremity CTV) and the control group (employing lower extremity venous ultrasound+lower extremity ascending phlebography).The two groups were matched in a 1∶1 ratio using propensity score matching, resulting in 43 cases per group.Comparative analyses between the groups at the one-year postoperative follow-up were performed using independent sample t tests, Wilcoxon rank-sum tests, χ2 tests, and linear regression analysis. Results: One year post-surgery,the CTV group exhibited a lower venous clinical severity score (VCSS) compared to the control group(M(IQR),3.0(4.3) vs.4.0(5.8),Z=-2.038,P=0.040).Additionally, the chronic venous insufficiency patients' quality of life questionnaire (CIVIQ-20) scores were significantly higher in the CTV group than in the control group (89.0(8.0) vs.82.5(17.0), Z=-2.627, P=0.010).Patients in the CTV group also experienced a shorter ulcer healing time compared to the control group (4.0(4.0) weeks vs.12.0(7.0) weeks, Z=-3.217,P<0.01).Both groups showed no clinically symptomatic recurrent varicose veins or ulcers.However, they exhibited ultrasound-detectable varicose vein recurrence, with no statistically significant difference (χ2=0.453,P=0.500).The number of diseased vessels requiring management based on ultrasound supplemented by CTV was 16, while the number supplemented by ascending phlebography was 7,with a statistically significant difference (χ2=4.800,P=0.030).Linear regression analysis demonstrated that clinical-etiology-anatomy-pathology clinical grading and the preoperative imaging examination method exerted independent influences on VCSS and CIVIQ-20 during the one-year postoperative assessment. Conclusions: CTV-assisted ultrasound enables a direct and comprehensive evaluation and localization of diseased veins in patients with recurrent varicose veins.The utilization of lower extremity vein ultrasound combined with CTV-guided management of lower extremity vessels in minimally invasive treatment significantly improves patient prognosis, surpassing the assessment provided by ascending phlebography.

[Posterior inferior cerebellar artery infarction with episodic postural diplopia as the initial symptom: A case report].

Accurate and timely diagnosis of posterior circulation ischemic stroke is a challenge for emergency neurology clinicians, even MRI scan which is believed to be sensitive to acute ischemic lesions may be negative. It is particularly important to obtain the typical or characteristic symptoms and signs of the patients through comprehensive physical examination. We report a case of posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) territory infarction with "episodic postural diplopia" as the initial symptom, hoping that clinicians notice the vertical diplopia caused by the disfunction of otolith gravity conduction pathway, which is characterized by the degree of diplopia being affected by postural changes. A 44-year-old man was in hospital due to episodic postural diplopia for 4 months, dizziness and unstable walking for 5 days. In the past four months, the patient had endured episodic diplopia attack for 8 times when standing or walking, which could be relieved obviously while lying down and gradually disappeared within 5-10 minutes. He had not seen a doctor since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. Five days before admission, diplopia worsened accompanying obvious vertigo, nausea and vomiting, left facial numbness, and hiccups. The diplopia could be relieved after taking the supine position, but not completely disappear as before. Physical examination showed a triad of ocular tilt response (OTR), namely static ocular rotation (SOT), skew deviation (SD) and head tilt (HT). And also subjective visual vertical (SVV) deviation was found. Those signs were considered for otolith gravity conduction system involvement. Combined with other clinical signs, such as Horner signs, crossed sensory disorders, ataxia, and MRI scan, it was easy to find the infarction was in the territory of the left PICA. The reasons for the patient's "episodic posi-tional diplopia" in the early stage of the disease were considered as follows: (1) the gravity was less affected in the supine position, the stimulation of the otolith gravity conduction pathway was reduced, so the degree of eye deviation was reduced in the supine position. (2) As an ischemic cerebrovascular disease, the patient experienced a process of transient ischemic attack (TIA) in the posterior circulation, the cerebral blood supply and the hypoperfusion of stenosis were increased after lying down, so the diplopia symptom disappeared. The upright-supine test was recommended for the patients with vertical diplopia. It was recommened to differentiate between otolith pathway involvement and diplopia caused by trochlear nerve palsy.

[Malignant solitary fibrous tumors: a clinicopathological and molecular genetic analysis].

Objective: To explore the clinicopathological features, immunophenotype and molecular genetic characteristics of malignant solitary fibrous tumor (MSFT). Methods: Seven cases of MSFT were collected from the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from July 2018 to December 2020. Immunohistochemistry, RNA-based NGS and DNA-based NGS were performed. Results Among the 7 patients, there were 5 males and 2 females with a median age of 53 years (37-69 years). Two tumors located at skull base, and one in the tentorium of cerebellum, parietal occipital region, occipital area, chest and buttock respectively. The maximum diameter of the tumor was 2.5-20.0 cm. Microscopically, typical hemangiopericomatoid structures were noted; the tumor was cellular, fusiform or oval, very pleomorphic, with necrosis and high mitotic figures (>4/10 HPF). In some cases, classical solitary fibrous tumor morphology and dedifferentiated region were observed. Immunohistochemically, the tumor was positive for CD34 (6/7), STAT6 (7/7), bcl-2 (7/7), but negative for S-100 (7/7); CKpan or EMA was positive to varying degrees; mutated p53 was noted (3/7); Ki-67 positive index was more than 10%. NAB2-STAT6 gene fusion was typically detected in all the 7 cases. In 4 cases, ZNF415-FGFR1, COPG1-MET, IPO11-LRRC70_ncRNA-PLAG1 and Clorf198-CD274 (PD-L1) gene fusions were also detected. NOTCH1 mutation was found in 7 cases and TP53 mutation in 4 cases. TERT promoter mutations were not detected in all the cases. Conclusions: MSFT is rare and needs to be differentiated from many other spindle cell tumors. Especially when tumors express epithelial markers, they are easily misdiagnosed as sarcomatoid carcinoma and synovial sarcoma, etc. Immunohistochemistry and molecular detection of NAB2-STAT6 gene fusion have important diagnostic values. NOTCH1 and TP53 mutations may be associated with the progression of MSFT. Some patients have FGFR1 gene fusion and MET gene fusion, which may be potential therapeutic targets.

[Follow-up study of fetal cardiac birth defects after prenatal diagnosis and graded counseling].

Objective: To explore accurate prenatal diagnosis, full-coverage graded counseling and follow-up for the fetus with cardiac birth defects (CBD). Methods: CBD fetus diagnosed prenatal by echocardiography from January 2018 to December 2020 in Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital were enrolled. Fetal CBD was graded (Ⅰ-Ⅵ) according to prognosis and possible operation time after birth, and the classification criteria and common diseases included were proposed. After the prenatal grading counseling, the outcome of the fetus was followed-up. The induced labor rate, live birth rate, prenatal and postnatal ultrasound diagnosis coincidence rate and other indicators were calculated. The disease composition ratio, prognosis of fetus with different grades and the outcome of integrated treatment were analyzed. Results: The detection rate of fetal CBD was up to 16.2% (1 971/12 188), 30 cases of which were excluded. A total of 1 941 cases were included in this study, including 196 cases (10.1%) of gradeⅠ, 433 cases (22.3%) of gradeⅡ, 615 cases (31.7%) of grade Ⅲ, 261 cases (13.4%) of grade Ⅳ, 388 cases (20.0%) of gradeⅤ, 48 cases (2.5%) of grade Ⅵ. Grade Ⅱ and gradeⅢ (the operation time was within 1 year after birth) accounted for 54.0% (1 048/1 941). The distribution of some diseases in different grades had obvious proportion advantage, which was representative. Among 1 747 CBD fetus, 736 cases (induced labor rate 42.1%) chose to terminate pregnancy due to CBD. Of the 1 010 live births, 975 cases (96.5%) had the same prenatal and postnatal diagnosis, 3 cases were missed diagnosis and 32 cases were misdiagnosed. The diagnostic accuracy of live births with severe and complex congenital heart disease was 383 out of 389 (98.5%). A total of 258 cases have received surgery or intervention. The age at the time of surgery or intervention was different among grades（χ²=47.3，P<0.001）. With the improvement of prognosis from gradeⅠ to Ⅴ, the live birth rate increased and the induced labor rate decreased accordingly; the difference between grades was significant（χ²=623.6，P<0.001）. Conclusions: Prenatal diagnosis and graded counseling is important in the integrated model. Fetal CBD grading could refine post-natal treatment strategies, guide delivery decisions and become an evaluation standard.

Development of a prognostic prediction model for patients with cutaneous malignant melanoma: a study based on the SEER database.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prognostic factors of cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) and establish an effective nomogram survival prediction model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The clinical data of patients diagnosed with stage M0 CMM from 2000 to 2019 in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database were collected and retrospectively analyzed. The variables that may be related to prognosis were analyzed by Lasso-Cox regression analysis using R software. Independent prognostic factors were screened. A nomogram model for predicting the prognosis of CMMC was drawn, and its accuracy was verified by c-index, NR, IDI and calibration curve. RESULTS: A total of 2,679 patients with CMM were included. Lasso-Cox analysis showed that male sex, multiple tumors, higher T stage, SEER stage, widowed, divorced, and separated often indicated poor prognosis. The nomogram model calibration curve was in good agreement with the ideal curve, and the C-index was 0.734 in the training group and 0.761 in the validation group, respectively. In the training group, the AUC of 1-, 3-, 5- and 8-year survival were 0.80, 0.75, 0.74 and 0.72, respectively. In the validation group, the AUC of 1-, 3-, 5- and 8-year survival were 0.75, 0.79, 0.78 and 0.79, respectively. NRI and IDI were superior to the prediction ability of TNM stage and SEER stage (p < 0.05). The established prognostic score can divide patients into high and low score groups with significant prognostic difference (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Sex, SEER stage, T stage, total number of tumors and marital status are independent prognostic factors for CMM patients, and the nomogram model presented a better performance than TNM stage and SEER stage in predicting the prognosis of CMM patients.

Disorder-Free Localization in an Interacting 2D Lattice Gauge Theory.

Disorder-free localization has been recently introduced as a mechanism for ergodicity breaking in low-dimensional homogeneous lattice gauge theories caused by local constraints imposed by gauge invariance. We show that also genuinely interacting systems in two spatial dimensions can become nonergodic as a consequence of this mechanism. This result is all the more surprising since the conventional many-body localization is conjectured to be unstable in two dimensions; hence the gauge invariance represents an alternative robust localization mechanism surviving in higher dimensions in the presence of interactions. Specifically, we demonstrate nonergodic behavior in the quantum link model by obtaining a bound on the localization-delocalization transition through a classical correlated percolation problem implying a fragmentation of Hilbert space on the nonergodic side of the transition. We study the quantum dynamics in this system by introducing the method of "variational classical networks," an efficient and perturbatively controlled representation of the wave function in terms of a network of classical spins akin to artificial neural networks. We identify a distinguishing dynamical signature by studying the propagation of line defects, yielding different light cone structures in the localized and ergodic phases, respectively. The methods we introduce in this work can be applied to any lattice gauge theory with finite-dimensional local Hilbert spaces irrespective of spatial dimensionality.

[Effect of corticotomy techniques accelerating orthodontic tooth movement on root resorption].

In recent years, developing new methods to accelerate orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) has attracted extensive attention in the field of orthodontic clinical and scientific research. It reduces orthodontic treatment time and risks. Over the past, various approaches have been done to accelerate orthodontic tooth movement. Several forms of corticotomy techniques have been effective in inducing rapid tooth movement. These techniques activate regional acceleratory phenomenon and create a favorable microenvironment for accelerating tooth movement. Root resorption is one of most common side effects of orthodontic treatment. It affects the long-term viability and health of teeth. However, the effect of corticotomy techniques accelerating orthodontic tooth movement on root resorption still remains unclear. Accelerating tooth movement may have two-side effects on root resorption. Through shortening the treatment period and removing the hyalinized tissues, the acceleration of orthodontic tooth movement could reduce root resorption. The increase of root resorption might be due to the local inflammation and function of cementoclasts/odontoclasts. In this paper, we reviewed the effects of different corticotomy techniques accelerating orthodontic tooth movement on root resorption. Corticotomy techniques deal with mucoperio-steal flaps and bone tissues differently and develop towards minimally invasive. Previous studies on root resorption use two-dimensional images, including apical films and panoramic tomography, to evaluate the degree of root resorption. In recent years, researches measure the volume of root resorption accurately using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and micro-CT. Most studies suggest that the root resorption during acceleration of orthodontic tooth movement through corticotomy techniques is not statistically different from that of traditional orthodontic treatment. Some studies using micro-CT have shown that the root resorption in the groups of corticotomy techniques increases compared with the control group without surgery. Because of the short duration of these studies, the clinical significance is controversial on the overall impact of corticotomy techniques on orthodontic treatment. Accelerating orthodontic tooth movement is still at its emerging phase and need further research in the form of clinical trials to illustrate the effect of corticotomy techniques accelerating orthodontic tooth movement on root resorption.

SCH58261, the antagonist of adenosine A2A receptor, alleviates cadmium-induced preeclampsia via sirtiun-1/hypoxia-inducible factor-1α pathway in rats.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the role of adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR) in cadmium-induced preeclampsia (PE) rats and the potential molecular mechanism. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The expression of A2AR in placentae obtained from PE women and normal pregnant (NP) women were measured. The pregnant rats were randomly divided into four groups, including NP rats, PE rats, SCH+NP rats, and SCH+PE rats. The 0.125 mg/kg/d CdCl2 was used to establish a PE rat model in PE and SCH+PE rats. SCH58261 was used as the specific antagonist of A2AR with a concentration of 0.2 mg/kg in SCH+NP and SCH+PE rats. The conditions of mother, foetus, and placenta were tested. The placental expression of A2AR, sirtuin-1 (sirt1), and Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1α (HIF-1α) was measured by Western blot (WB) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining. RESULTS: A2AR and HIF-1α increased, and sirt1 decreased in placenta in both PE women and cadmium-induced PE rats. After treatment with SCH58261, the sirt1 increased and HIF-1a decreased in cadmium-induced PE rats along with the amelioration of maternal outcomes, foetal and placental growth. CONCLUSIONS: This paper firstly revealed that placental A2AR mediated cadmium-induced PE, and A2AR suppression could attenuate placental impairment by acting on the expression of sirt1 and sirt1-mediated regulation of HIF-1α.

Characterization of maltocin S16, a phage tail-like bacteriocin with antibacterial activity against Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and Escherichia coli.

AIMS: To determine the characteristics of the novel phage tail-like bacteriocin (PTLB) produced by Stenotrophomonas maltophilia S16. METHODS AND RESULTS: A screen to identify novel bacteriocins from a panel of 86 S. maltophilia strains was performed. We found that 62 tested S. maltophilia strains were sensitive to a PTLB, designated maltocin S16. In addition, 8 of 14 tested Escherichia coli strains were also susceptible to maltocin S16. Minimum inhibitory concentration determination confirmed that maltocin S16 had rather high bactericidal activity against both S. maltophilia and E. coli. Maltocin S16 was resistant to trypsin and proteinase K. Furthermore, lipopolysaccharide was found to be involved in the adsorption of maltocin S16. The gene cluster of maltocin S16 was consisted of 23 putative open reading frames. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that maltocin S16 represents a new class of PTLB in S. maltophilia. CONCLUSION: Maltocin S16 was a novel PTLB with broad-spectrum and high bactericidal activity against S. maltophilia and E. coli. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is a multidrug-resistant opportunistic pathogen with increasing contributions to infectious disease morbidity and mortality. Maltocin S16 could be a promising alternative for antibiotics against S. maltophilia and E. coli infections.

Physiological responses to swimming fatigue in juvenile largemouth bronze gudgeon Coreius guichenoti.

Stepped velocity tests were conducted on juvenile largemouth bronze gudgeon Coreius guichenoti in a swim tunnel respirometer, and oxygen consumption increased with swimming speed to fatigue and then decreased during recovery. Serum levels of total protein, glucose and triglycerides initially decreased, increased at fatigue and then decreased during recovery. Levels stabilized after 120 min, corresponding to the time necessary to recover from fatigue.

Right testicular volume is a dominant predictor of testicular function determined by sperm parameters and total testosterone.

This study aims to evaluate the predictive value of left testicular volume (LTV) and right testicular volume (RTV) for testicular function respectively. Men who requested fertility testing for any reason were enrolled from December 2012 to November 2015. Subjects with primary scrotal diseases or a condition interfering reproductive system were excluded. Testicular volume (TV) was evaluated by scrotal ultrasound. Sex hormone and semen analysis including sperm concentration (SC) and sperm motility rate (SMR) were performed. Statistical analysis including comparison, stepwise linear regression and logistic regression was used. Two hundred and seventy-four patients with oligoasthenozoospermia/low testosterone and 27 control subjects were enrolled. Both LTV and RTV positively correlated with testicular function, and no differences were found between bilateral TV. RTV is the best independent factor associated with testicular function determined by SC (ß=.292, p < .001), SMR (ß=.227, p < .001) and total testosterone (TT) (ß=.245, p < .001). Using a RTV value of 15.47 ml, the highest discriminating sensitivity and specificity were 66.7% and 62.4% respectively. RTV (<15 ml) was the only positive predictor for low testicular function (odds ratio=2.79, 95% confidence interval: 1.18-6.66; p =.020). RTV rather than LTV is the independent factor of overall testicular function determined by semen quality and TT levels. Further studies are needed to support and elucidate the difference in volume-function between bilateral testes.

Genomic innovations, transcriptional plasticity and gene loss underlying the evolution and divergence of two highly polyphagous and invasive Helicoverpa pest species.

BACKGROUND: Helicoverpa armigera and Helicoverpa zea are major caterpillar pests of Old and New World agriculture, respectively. Both, particularly H. armigera, are extremely polyphagous, and H. armigera has developed resistance to many insecticides. Here we use comparative genomics, transcriptomics and resequencing to elucidate the genetic basis for their properties as pests. RESULTS: We find that, prior to their divergence about 1.5 Mya, the H. armigera/H. zea lineage had accumulated up to more than 100 more members of specific detoxification and digestion gene families and more than 100 extra gustatory receptor genes, compared to other lepidopterans with narrower host ranges. The two genomes remain very similar in gene content and order, but H. armigera is more polymorphic overall, and H. zea has lost several detoxification genes, as well as about 50 gustatory receptor genes. It also lacks certain genes and alleles conferring insecticide resistance found in H. armigera. Non-synonymous sites in the expanded gene families above are rapidly diverging, both between paralogues and between orthologues in the two species. Whole genome transcriptomic analyses of H. armigera larvae show widely divergent responses to different host plants, including responses among many of the duplicated detoxification and digestion genes. CONCLUSIONS: The extreme polyphagy of the two heliothines is associated with extensive amplification and neofunctionalisation of genes involved in host finding and use, coupled with versatile transcriptional responses on different hosts. H. armigera's invasion of the Americas in recent years means that hybridisation could generate populations that are both locally adapted and insecticide resistant.

[Airway inflammation in sleep disordered breathing children: preliminary results].

Objective:To assess the clinical significance of nasal nitric oxide(NNO) levels in children with sleep disordered breathing(SDB).Method:Thirty children with SDB and twenty healthy children were enrolled. The NNO levels were measured non-invasively using a NIOX MINO system. SPSS statistics 20.0 software was used to analyze the data. Result:Compared to healthy children,NNO level was significant higher in children with SDB(Z=-2.215,P<0.05) .Correlation analysis showed that SDB children's NNO level was directly correlated with AHI(r=0.429,P<0.05),and it was inversely correlated with nadir SaO2(r=-0.482,P<0.01).But NNO level was not significantly correlated with other polysomnographic parameters. Conclusion:Our data suggested that NNO levels might be useful for evaluating the disease severity in SDB children.

Brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation and carotid intima-media thickness in young ED patients with insulin resistance.

The evidence of a close relationship between cardiovascular disease and erectile dysfunction (ED) is well documented. The aim of this study is to investigate whether there is an early asymptomatic impairment of the peripheral vasculature in young ED patients without obvious cardiovascular disease. We studied a total of 261 ED patients (19-40 years old) and 40 age-matched healthy controls. All participants received questionnaires of cardiovascular risk factors and erectile function assessment, were subjected to lab tests of fasting blood sample, and underwent the ultrasonographic examination of brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and carotid intima-media thickness (c-IMT). Insulin resistance (IR) was measured by the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Compared with normal human controls, FMD was significantly lower, whereas the average c-IMT was significantly greater in ED patients. An inverse correlation was found between FMD and mean c-IMT. The ED patients had significantly higher levels of fasting glucose, fasting insulin and HOMA-IR index, but showed relatively lower total testosterone and prolactin levels than the controls. Both FMD and c-IMT showed a significant correlation with International Index of Erectile Function-5 questionnaire (IIEF-5) score, age and HOMA-IR. Multivariate stepwise regression analysis demonstrated that age, HOMA-IR and IIEF-5 score were the risk factors associated with FMD and c-IMT. In conclusion, young ED patients in association with IR display diminished FMD and increased c-IMT. Furthermore, ED, HOMA-IR and age are independent predictors of the two subclinical atherosclerotic markers.

Two familial cases of Olmsted-like syndrome with a G573V mutation of the TRPV3 gene.

Olmsted syndrome (OS) is a rare disease, characterized by symmetrical, sharply defined, hyperkeratotic, mutilating plaques on the palms and soles, which are associated with periorificial keratotic plaques. Other clinical manifestations of OS include diffuse alopecia, leucokeratosis of the oral mucosa, onychodystrophy, hyperkeratotic linear streaks, follicular hyperkeratosis and constriction of the digits. A recent study identified de novo mutations in the gene for transient receptor potential vanilloid 3 (TRPV3), causing constitutive activation of the TRPV3 channel, as a cause of OS. We report familial inheritance of OS in a family from Mongolia, which was caused by a previously undescribed G573V point mutation in TRPV3. To date, mutations in the G573 residue of TRPV3 have been reported in seven cases of OS: G573S in five cases, and G573C and G573A mutations in one case each. We present a Mongolian familial case of G573V point mutation in TRPV3.

Spinal cord injury and Parkinson's disease: a population-based, propensity score-matched, longitudinal follow-up study.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) are at an increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease (PD). STUDY DESIGN: A population-based, propensity score-matched, longitudinal follow-up cohort study. SETTING: The study was conducted using the National Health Insurance (NHI) Research Database. METHODS: A total of 10 125 patients with at least 2 ambulatory visits with a diagnosis of SCI in 2001 were enrolled in the SCI group. The non-SCI group comprised 10 125 propensity score-matched patients without SCI. The propensity scores were computed using a logistic regression model that included age, sex, comorbidities and socioeconomic status. The PD-free survival rates of the two groups were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Stratified Cox proportional hazard regression was used to estimate the effect of SCI on subsequent occurrence of PD. RESULTS: During the 3-year follow-up period, 99 subjects in the SCI group and 59 in the non-SCI group developed PD. The hazard ratio of PD for the SCI group compared with the non-SCI group was 1.65 (95% confidence interval 1.16-2.33, P=0.0049). The PD-free survival rate for the SCI group was lower than that for the non-SCI group (P=0.0017). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that SCI is associated with a subsequent increased risk of PD. Further studies are needed to elucidate the mechanism underlying this association.

Functional characterization of the vitellogenin promoter in the silkworm, Bombyx mori.

Genetic transformation and genome editing technologies have been successfully established in the lepidopteran insect model, the domesticated silkworm, Bombyx mori, providing great potential for functional genomics and practical applications. However, the current lack of cis-regulatory elements in B. mori gene manipulation research limits further exploitation in functional gene analysis. In the present study, we characterized a B. mori endogenous promoter, Bmvgp, which is a 798-bp DNA sequence adjacent to the 5'-end of the vitellogenin gene (Bmvg). PiggyBac-based transgenic analysis shows that Bmvgp precisely directs expression of a reporter gene, enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP), in a sex-, tissue- and stage-specific manner. In transgenic animals, EGFP expression can be detected in the female fat body from larval-pupal ecdysis to the following pupal and adult stage. Furthermore, in vitro and in vivo experiments revealed that EGFP expression can be activated by 20-hydroxyecdysone, which is consistent with endogenous Bmvg expression. These data indicate that Bmvgp is an effective endogenous cis-regulatory element in B. mori.

High-repetition-rate quasi-CW side-pumped mJ eye-safe laser with a monolithic KTP crystal for intracavity optical parametric oscillator.

We demonstrate a high-repetition-rate millijoule passively Q-switched eye-safe Nd:YVO(4) laser pumped by a quasi-CW diode stack. A theoretical analysis has been explored for the design criteria of generating TEM(n,0) mode in the diode-stack directly side-pumping configuration. We successfully generate TEM(n,0) modes at 1064 nm by adjusting the gain medium with respected to the laser axis. We further observe the spatial cleaning ability for generating an nearly TEM(0,0) mode output at 1573 nm with a monolithic OPO cavity. At the repetition rate up to 200 Hz, the output pulse energy reaches 1.21 mJ with the threshold pump energy of 17.9 mJ.

Development of an arthroscopic ultrasound probe for assessment of articular cartilage degeneration.

Quantitative assessment of articular cartilage is important for the early diagnosis of osteoarthritis, intra-operation joint tissue evaluation and judgment of repaired cartilage quality. This technique is also applicable to the cartilage if arthroscopic instrument embedding this technique can be developed. In this study, an arthroscopic water-jet ultrasound indentation probe was developed with the help of a small profile intra-articular ultrasound imaging (IAUS) catheter for the intra-articular measurement of cartilage condition. The probe can provide measurement of morphological, acoustical and mechanical properties of articular cartilage. Preliminary tests were conducted on 10 intact porcine knees with the guide of arthroscopy for the evaluation of cartilage degeneration, which was induced by trypsin digestion. Results showed the cartilage stiffness decreased significantly after the digestion (p < 0.001) with the measurement conducted by the developed probe. In summary, an arthroscopic ultrasound probe has been successfully developed and its utility in detecting the cartilage degeneration was demonstrated in this study. Future work includes the improvement of the probe design and studies on measurement of animal or human samples in vivo.