Numerical simulation study on distinguishing nonlinear propagation regimes of femtosecond pulses in fused silica.

We perform numerical simulations to investigate the nonlinear propagation dynamics of femtosecond Gaussian and vortex beams in fused silica. By analyzing the extent of spectral broadening, we are able to distinguish between the linear, self-focusing, and filamentation regimes. Additionally, the maximum intensity and fluence distribution within the cross-section of the vortex beams are analyzed for different incident laser energies. The results demonstrate a direct correlation between the spectral broadening and the peak intensity of the femtosecond laser pulse. As a result, this provides a theoretical foundation for distinguishing different propagation regimes, and determining critical powers for self-focusing and filamentation of both femtosecond Gaussian and structured beams.

Application of Modified Kite Flap in Reconstruction of Facial Wounds After Operation and Case Series.

Our team used a new kite flap preparation method to repair wounds after the removal of a benign facial tumor with satisfactory aesthetic results. Thus, this modified kite flap has significant value in facial trauma repair.

Extending the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM): The GRADE-TCM.

AIM: To extend and form the "Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation in Traditional Chinese Medicine" (GRADE-TCM). METHODS: Methodologies were systematically reviewed and analyzed concerning evidence-based TCM guidelines worldwide. A survey questionnaire was developed based on the literature review and open-end expert interviews. Then, we performed expert consensus, discussion meeting, opinion collection, external examination, and the GRADE-TCM was formed eventually. RESULTS: 265 Chinese and English TCM guidelines were included and analyzed. Five experts completed the open-end interviews. Ten methodological entries were summarized, screened and selected. One round of consensus was conducted, including a total of 22 experts and 220 valid questionnaire entries, concerning 1) selection of the GRADE, 2) GRADE-TCM upgrading criteria, 3) GRADE-TCM evaluation standard, 4) principles of consensus and recommendation, and 5) presentation of the GRADE-TCM and recommendation. Finally, consensus was reached on the above 10 entries, and the results were of high importance (with voting percentages ranging from 50 % to 81.82 % for "very important" rating) and strong reliability (with the Cr ranging from 0.93 to 0.99). Expert discussion meeting (with 40 experts), opinion collection (in two online platforms) and external examination (with 14 third-party experts) were conducted, and the GRADE-TCM was established eventually. CONCLUSION: GRADE-TCM provides a new extended evidence-based evaluation standard for TCM guidelines. In GRADE-TCM, international evidence-based norms, characteristics of TCM intervention, and inheritance of TCM culture were combined organically and followed. This is helpful for localization of the GRADE in TCM and internationalization of TCM guidelines.

Polarization of the third harmonic emission from the filamentation of femtosecond cylindrical vector beams.

We experimentally generate a third harmonic (TH) vector optical field in deep ultraviolet wavelength range using femtosecond vector laser beams. The generated TH beams are characterized by analyzing the Stokes parameters with different input laser energies. The results show that the TH predominantly preserves the vector polarization distribution of the fundamental frequency beam. Moreover, the intensity profile of the TH exhibits a multiple-ring structure. A hybrid polarization pattern is observed in the TH, where the ellipticity is influenced by the input laser energy. Our work provides an effective and straightforward method for producing TH vector optical fields, which may facilitate potential applications such as micro/nanofabrication and super-resolution microscopy.

Distinguishing the nonlinear propagation regimes of vortex femtosecond pulses in fused silica by evaluating the broadened spectrum.

The nonlinear propagation dynamics of vortex femtosecond laser pulses in optical media is a topic with significant importance in various fields, such as nonlinear optics, micromachining, light bullet generation, vortex air lasing, air waveguide and supercontinuum generation. However, how to distinguish the various regimes of nonlinear propagation of vortex femtosecond pulses remains challenging. This study presents a simple method for distinguishing the regimes of nonlinear propagation of femtosecond pulses in fused silica by evaluating the broadening of the laser spectrum as the input pulse power gradually increases. The linear, self-focusing and mature filamentation regimes for Gaussian and vortex femtosecond pulses in fused silica are distinguished. The critical powers for self-focusing and mature filamentation of both types of laser pulses are obtained. Our work provides a rapid and convenient method for distinguishing different regimes of nonlinear propagation and determining the critical powers for self-focusing and mature filamentation of Gaussian and structured laser pulses in optical media.

Ectopic breast tissue of the vulva.

Ectopic mammary gland tissue in the vulva is an exceptionally rare disease. We present a case of a 62-year-old woman with a left vulvar mass of 30 years duration that progressively increased in size. The patient reported having pressure and discomfort, especially during movement. Surgical excision was performed, and a histopathological examination revealed a well-differentiated ectopic breast. We also review other cases of vulvar ectopic breast to further comprehend the characteristics of this rare disease.  Clinicians and pathologists should always consider it as a differential diagnosis when presented with a vulvar mass.

Experimentally determined critical power for self-focusing of femtosecond vortex beams in air by a fluorescence measurement.

The filamentation of the femtosecond vortex beam has attracted much attention because of the unique filamentation characteristics, such as annular distribution and helical propagation, and related applications. The critical power for self-focusing of the femtosecond vortex beams is a key parameter in the filamentation process and applications. But until now, there is no quantitative determination of the critical power. In this work, we experimentally determine the self-focusing critical power of femtosecond vortex beams in air by measuring fluorescence using a photomultiplier tube. The relation between the self-focusing critical power and the topological charge is further obtained. Our work provides a simple method to determine the self-focusing critical power not only for vortex beams but also for Airy, Bessel, vector, and other structured laser beams.

Influence of a pinhole diameter on the experimental determination of critical power for femtosecond filamentation in air.

Filamentation of intense femtosecond laser pulses in optical media has attracted great attention due to its various unique characteristics and potential applications. It is an important task to determine the critical power for the filamentation especially in many applications, which can be obtained by evaluating the transmitted pulse energy through a pinhole located in the filamentation region as a function of input laser energy. The pinhole diameter is very crucial to the measurement. However, there is no report on the experimental determination of critical power for filamentation in air by using the pinhole method and the influence of the pinhole diameter on the determination. In this paper, we numerically and experimentally investigate the influence of pinhole diameter on the determination of the filamentation critical power. The obtained critical power tends to a reasonable value as the decrease of the pinhole diameter, because the transmitted energy through the pinhole with a smaller diameter is more sensitive to the change of energy distribution in the beam cross section during the beginning process of filamentation. Under our experimental condition, the pinhole diameter as small as ∼50 µm is applicable to be used to determine the critical power for filamentation of femtosecond laser pulses in air.

Psychological Disorders of Patients With Allergic Rhinitis in Chengdu, China: Exploratory Research.

BACKGROUND: The number of patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) has exceeded 500 million worldwide due to the unstable curative effect that can easily produce mental and psychological disorders. However, most of the relevant existing literature is one-on-one retrospective analyses or targeted meta-analyses of AR with psychological disorders like irritability, depression, and anxiety, while "multi-hospital + interdisciplinary" multiple regression analyses are scarce. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to precisely identify the psychological disorders of patients with AR who were diagnosed and treated in the five most renowned hospitals in Chengdu, China over the past 5 years using 10 classification methods so as to attract attention and care from otolaryngologists. METHODS: The Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90) was used to group and score the mental state of 827 strictly screened patients with AR according to 9 classification criteria. The scores were then compared within groups. Intergroup comparisons were made between the study group and the Chinese norm, and the positive factors for psychological disorders were extracted. Four symptoms in the study group, that is, nasal itching, sneezing, clear discharge, and nasal congestion, were scored on a visual analog scale. Partial correlation analysis was performed between the extracted positive factors for psychological disorders and the symptom scores by the multiple regression statistical method. RESULTS: Among 827 patients, 124 (15%) had no mental health impairments, 176 (21.3%) had mild impairments, 474 (57.3%) had mild to moderate impairments, 41 (5%) had moderate to severe impairments, and 12 (1.4%) had severe impairments. The average score of the SCL-90 for all 827 patients was 2.64 (SD 0.25), which corresponded to mild to moderate mental health impairments. The 827 patients scored significantly higher for the 4 positive factors: depression, anxiety, psychosis, and other (sleep, diet). Depression was positively correlated with sneezing and clear discharge, anxiety was positively correlated with nasal itching and congestion, psychosis was positively correlated with nasal itching and sneezing, and other (sleep, diet) was positively correlated with clear discharge and nasal congestion. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with AR have mild to moderate mental health impairments, with women and those with abnormal BMI, aged ≥45 years, with a monthly salary <¥5110 (US $700), with a disease duration <13 years, residing in urban areas, with a high school or above education, or who are indoor laborers being at high risk and requiring more care, follow-up, and comprehensive therapy from otolaryngologists.

Elongation of filamentation and enhancement of supercontinuum generation by a preformed air density hole.

The filamentation of the femtosecond laser pulse in air with a preformed density hole is studied numerically. The result shows that density-hole-induced defocusing effect can relieve the self-focusing of the pulse, and by changing the length of the density hole and relative delay time, the filamentation length, intensity, spectral energy density and broaden region can be effectively controlled. When a short density hole with millisecond delay time is introduced, a significant elongation of the filamentation and enhancement of supercontinuum intensity can be obtained. This study provides a new method to control filamentation by pulse sequence.

Intense vector supercontinuum radiation from femtosecond filamentation.

Intense vector supercontinuum (SC) radiation with spatial polarization is obtained by using 800nm femtosecond vector laser beams in the air. The SC generated by azimuthally, radially, cylindrically polarized beams, and higher-order vector beams are investigated, respectively. The results show that the SC generated by vector beams is greatly enhanced compared to that by a Gaussian beam. The energy density of SC radiation reaches the order of 1µJ/nm in a bandwidth of 258 nm from 559 nm to 817 nm and 0.1 µJ/nm from 500 nm to 559 nm. Furthermore, by checking the polarization distribution of SC in different wavelengths from visible to near-infrared bands, we find that the SC maintains nearly the same polarization distribution as pump pulses. This work provides an effective and convenient way to generate powerful SC vector beams which may facilitate potential applications including optical communication, micro/nano-fabrication, and super-resolution microscopy.

Head Acupuncture Plus Schuell's Language Rehabilitation for Post-Stroke Aphasia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 32 Randomized Controlled Trials.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the existing randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for evidence of the efficacy and safety of head acupuncture (HA) plus Schuell's language rehabilitation (SLR) in post-stroke aphasia. METHODS: Seven databases including Embase, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Technology Periodical Database, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, SinoMed and Wanfang Data Information Site were searched for RCTs published from database inception until November 14, 2021. RCTs that compared HA plus SLR with sham (or blank) control, acupuncture therapy alone, certain language rehabilitation therapy alone or other therapies for post-stroke aphasia were included. Data were extracted and assessed, and the quality of RCTs was evaluated. Fixed-effects model was used, with meta-inflfluence analysis, meta-regression, and regression-based sub-group analyses applied for exploration of heterogeneity. Publication bias was estimated by funnel plots and Egger's tests. RESULTS: A total of 32 RCTs with 1,968 patients were included and 51 comparisons were conducted classified as types of strokes and aphasia. (1) For patients with aphasia after ischemic stroke, HA plus PSA showed significantly higher accumulative markedly effective rate [relative risk (RR)=1.55, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.19-2.02, I2=0%] and accumulative effective rate (RR=1.22, 95% CI: 1.09-1.36, I2=0%). (2) For patients with comprehensive types of stroke, HA plus PSA was more effective in increasing recovery rate (RR=1.89, 95% CI: 1.39-2.56, I2=0%), accumulative markedly effective rate (RR=1.53, 95% CI: 1.36-1.72, I2=9%) and accumulative effective rate (RR=1.14, 95% CI: 1.09-1.19, I2=34%). (3) For patients with aphasia after stroke, HA plus PSA was superior to PSA alone with statistical significance in increasing recovery rate (RR=2.08, 95% CI: 1.24-3.46, I2=0%), accumulative markedly effective rate (RR=1.49, 95% CI: 1.24-1.78, I2=0%) and accumulative effective rate (RR=1.15, 95% CI: 1.06-1.24, I2=39%). (4) For patients with multiple types of aphasia, HA plus PSA also demonstrated significantly higher recovery rate (RR=1.86, 95% CI: 1.28-2.72, I2=0%), accumulative markedly effective rate (RR=1.55, 95% CI: 1.35-1.78, I2=22%), and accumulative effective rate (RR=1.17, 95% CI: 1.11-1.23, I2=41%). (5) For patients with motor aphasia after ischemic stroke, compared with PSA alone, HA plus PSA showed significantly higher accumulative markedly effective rate (RR=1.38, 95% CI: 1.06-1.79, I2=0%) and accumulative effective rate (RR=1.20, 95% CI: 1.05-1.37, I2=0%). Meta-regression analyses were performed without significant difference, and publication bias was found in some comparisons. CONCLUSION: HA plus SLR was significantly associated with better language ability and higher effective rate for patients with post-stroke aphasia, and HA should be operated cautiously especially during acupuncture at eye and neck. (Registration No. CRD42020154475).

Traditional Chinese medicine foot bath combined with acupoint massage for the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 31 RCTs.

In this study, we aim to evaluate the efficiency and safety of traditional Chinese medicine foot bath combined with acupoint massage for the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy. A total of eight online databases were searched to collect studies published up to February 2019. Study quality of each included article was evaluated by the Cochrane Collaboration risk of bias tool. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses were conducted based on the Cochrane systematic review method by using the RevMan 5.3 software. Traditional Chinese medicine foot bath combined with acupoint massage was the main therapy in experimental group. Interventions in control groups include western medicine, oral traditional Chinese medicine, other symptomatic treatment of western medicine, and blank control. Primary outcomes in this study include sensory nerve conduction velocity (SNCV), motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV), total effective rate, and neuropathic syndrome score. Finally, 31 trials involving 3284 participants were included. The results of systematic reviews and meta-analyses showed that traditional Chinese medicine foot bath combined with acupoint massage was significantly better compared with the control groups in terms of the total effective rate, SNCV, MNCV, and neuropathic syndrome score. No case of adverse effect was reported. These findings show that traditional Chinese medicine foot bath combined with acupoint massage may be safer and more effective for the treatment of DPN. However, due to the low methodological quality, further research with randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of higher quality is required to prove its efficacy and better evidence for clinical treatment.

Effectiveness of Acupuncturing at the Sphenopalatine Ganglion Acupoint Alone for Treatment of Allergic Rhinitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

AIMS: To evaluate the efficiency of acupuncturing at the sphenopalatine ganglion acupoint alone for treatment of allergic rhinitis. DESIGN: A total of ten online databases were searched to find studies published up to Jan. 2018. Primary outcome measures include the TNSS, the RQLQ score, the VAS score, total effective rate, score for signs and symptoms, and the improvement of disease classification. Study quality of each included article was evaluated by the Cochrane Collaboration risk of bias tool. A meta-analysis was conducted based on the Cochrane systematic review method by using RevMan 5.3 software. INTERVENTIONS: Acupuncturing SGA alone was the only therapy in experimental group. Interventions in control groups includes sham acupuncture, acupuncturing other regular acupoints, and western medicine. Specific techniques included manual acupuncture and electroacupuncture only. PRIMARY OUTCOMES: They include TNSS, RQLQ, VAS score, total effective rate, the improvement of disease classification. RESULTS: Ten studies of eight articles involving 1004 participants were included. Result of meta-analysis showed that acupuncturing sphenopalatine ganglion acupoints alone was more effective than control groups. However, several adverse effects were reported. CONCLUSION: These findings show that acupuncturing the sphenopalatine ganglion acupoint alone has a potential role in alleviating nasal symptoms, improving quality of life for patients, and the effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of allergic rhinitis, suggesting it as a considerable therapy for allergic rhinitis. However, more studies are needed to execute a subgroup analysis of various variables and to evaluate the publication bias of the study.

Cysteine-rich intestinal protein 1 suppresses apoptosis and chemosensitivity to 5-fluorouracil in colorectal cancer through ubiquitin-mediated Fas degradation.

BACKGROUND: Cysteine-rich intestinal protein 1 (CRIP1) is highly expressed in human intestine and aberrantly expressed in several types of tumor. However, studies on CRIP1 are limited and its role on tumor development and progression remains controversial and elusive. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry was performed to evaluate the expression of CRIP1 in paired normal and colorectal tumor specimens, as well as colorectal cell lines. Functional assays, such as CCK8, TUNEL assay and in vivo tumor growth assay, were used to detect the proliferation, apoptosis and response to 5-FU of CRIP1. Western blot was used to analyze Fas-mediated pathway induced by CRIP1. Rescue experiments were performed to evaluate the essential role of CRIP1 for Fas-mediated apoptosis. RESULTS: We demonstrated that CRIP1 is overexpressed in CRC tissues compared with adjacent normal mucosa. CRIP1 could dramatically recover the 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) inhibited CRC cell proliferation in vitro and stimulate the tumor formation of CRC in vivo, probably through inhibiting CRC cell apoptosis. Moreover, CRIP1 also dramatically recovered the 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) induced tumor cell apoptosis in vitro. Further study demonstrated that CRIP1 down-regulated the expression of Fas protein and proteins related to Fas-mediated apoptosis. CRIP1 could interact with Fas protein and stimulate its ubiquitination and degradation. In addition, a negative correlation was detected between the expression of CRIP1 and Fas protein in most of the clinical human CRC samples. CONCLUSION: The current research reveals a vital role of CRIP1 in CRC progression, which provide a novel target for clinical drug resistance of colorectal cancer and undoubtedly contributing to the therapeutic strategies in CRC.

Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the vagina: A case report.

RATIONALE: Squamous carcinoma is the most common malignancy of vagina. Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) in the vagina is very rare. PATIENT CONCERNS: In the present study, we present a 45-year-old woman with a palpable swelling in the vagina. The patient reported body paresthesia, chest congestion, expiratory dyspnea, and itching in the thigh root. DIAGNOSIS: The ultrasound results revealed inhomogeneous echoes of the muscular layer in the middle and distal of the vagina, and probed a slightly richer blood flow signal. Then biopsy was performed. On microscopic examination, it was observed that tumor cells were arranged in a tubular or cribriform pattern, and exhibited a consistent size, small nuclei, and nuclear fission. The myoepithelium was lined around the glandular cavity, but the myoepithelium was tumorous. Immunohistochemistry was performed for further verification. Vimentin was positive in mesenchyme and CK-P was positive in epithelial cells. P63 and calponin were spotted, which were focal positive around the glandular cavity. Finally, the patient was diagnosed as ACC. INTERVENTIONS: At last, the patient chose chemoradiotherapy, not surgical excision. OUTCOMES: The patient is alive and well 13 months after the initial diagnosis. LESSONS: ACC in the vagina is extremely rare. To our knowledge, this report is the first case of ACC arising from the vagina in English-language literature. Extensive surgical section of the tumour and chemoradiotherapy are recommended for therapy. Because of rarity, the prognosis of ACC in vagina is not known.

CRIP1 promotes cell migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of cervical cancer by activating the Wnt/ß­catenin signaling pathway.

Cervical cancer (CC) is the third most common cancer and the fourth leading cause of malignancy-related mortality in women worldwide. In addition, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been generally studied in tumor metastasis researches in recent years. Cysteine-rich intestinal protein 1 (CRIP1) is differently expressed in human cancer cells. However, the role it plays in CC has not been revealed at present. Preliminary experiments have shown that CRIP1 had a higher expression in CC tissues, compared with adjacent noncancerous tissues. Real-time PCR and western blot were performed to analyze CRIP1 expression in CC cell lines. CRIP1 transient transfection vector and siRNA were constructed. Further analysis revealed the promotion effects of CRIP1 on the cell migration and invasion of CC in vitro (P < 0.01). In addition, western blot was performed to show that CRIP1 mediates EMT by means of EMT marker detection. The expression of CRIP1 and ߭catenin in CC tissues was analyzed by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Interestingly, CRIP1 and ߭catenin were both highly expressed in CC tissues (P < 0.01). Furthermore, CRIP1 increased the protein expression level of c-myc, cyclinD-1 and cytoplasmic ߭catenin, which are indicators for activating the Wnt/߭catenin signaling pathway. In conclusion, CRIP1 promotes cell migration and invasion, mediates EMT and activates the Wnt/߭catenin signaling pathway in CC.

Interference-induced filament array in fused silica.

One- and two-dimensional filament arrays are obtained in fused silica by using two and three interfered femtosecond laser beams, respectively. By modulating the number, cross angle, and azimuth of the beams, the dimension, period, orientation, and geometry of the filament-array can be controlled. The multiple beams interference method provides a convenient and effective method to generate and control the filament array in optical media with multiple degrees of freedom but without any external pulse modulation or focal element.

LASP2 suppresses colorectal cancer progression through JNK/p38 MAPK pathway meditated epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

BACKGROUND: LASP2 (LIM and SH3 Protein 2) is a small focal adhesion protein belongs to nebulin protein family. As the newest member of nebulette family, the function of LASP2 remains to be identified. METHODS: The relationship between LASP2 expression and clinical characteristics of CRC was analyzed in 89 paraffin-embedded archived CRC specimens by immunohistochemistry (IHC). The effects of LASP2 on cell growth and migration were examined in vitro, using CCK-8 and transwell assays. Western blotting was performed to examine the impact of LASP2 on the SAPK/JNK and MAPK signaling pathways. RESULTS: In the present study, we observed a decreased LASP2 expression in clinical colorectal cancer samples compared with paired normal tissues. A negative correlation was also found between LASP2 and poor prognosis of CRC patients. Gain- and loss-of-function approaches revealed that LASP2 plays inhibitory effects on the growth and migration of human CRC cells in vitro. Western-blot results showed that LASP2 could attenuate epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) to accomplish its suppression on CRC aggression. In LASP2 knocked down CRC cells, EMT was inhibited along with the inactivation of JNK/p38 MAPK pathway. Consistently, treatment of JNK inhibitor (JNK inhibitor II) together with p38 inhibitor (SB203580) could resume the process of EMT. Interestingly, we found a negative relationship between LASP2 and LASP1 expression in both CRC cell lines and tumors tissues, which suggests their converse function in CRC progression. CONCLUSIONS: All the findings indicated that LASP2 may play a significant role in suppressing CRC progression and provided a novel biomarker for CRC therapy.

Loss of the 14-3-3σ is essential for LASP1-mediated colorectal cancer progression via activating PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

LIM and SH3 protein 1 (LASP1) can promote colorectal cancer (CRC) progression and metastasis, but the direct evidence that elucidates the molecular mechanism remains unclear. Here, our proteomic data showed that LASP1 interacted with 14-3-3σ and decreased the expression of 14-3-3σ in CRC. Deletion of 14-3-3σ was required for LASP1-mediated CRC cell aggressiveness. In vitro gain- and loss-of-function assays showed that 14-3-3σ suppressed the ability of cell migration and decreased the phosphorylation of AKT in CRC cells. We further observed clearly co-localization between AKT and 14-3-3σ in CRC cells. Treatment of PI3K inhibitor LY294002 markedly prevented phosphorylation of AKT and subsequently counteract aggressive phenotype mediated by siRNA of 14-3-3σ. Clinically, 14-3-3σ is frequently down-regulated in CRC tissues. Down-regulation of 14-3-3σ is associated with tumor progression and poor prognosis of patients with CRC. Multivariate analysis confirmed low expression of 14-3-3σ as an independent prognostic factor for CRC. A combination of low 14-3-3σ and high LASP1 expression shows a worse trend with overall survival of CRC patients. Our research paves the path to future investigation of the LASP1-14-3-3σ axis as a target for novel anticancer therapies of advanced CRC.