High-frequency ultrasound imaging findings in the diagnosis of segmental schwannomatosis of the ulnar nerve: case report and literature review.

Schwannomatosis is characterized by the development of multiple schwannomas without evidence of vestibular tumors. Segmental schwannomatosis is defined as being limited to one limb or five or fewer contiguous segments of the spine. We report a case of a 20-year-old male with the painful masses of the left upper extremity with associated numbness and paresthesia in the ulnar nerve distribution. The high-frequency ultrasound showed that the ulnar nerve fascicles were enlarged and expanded with beadlike growth. The patient underwent surgery twice and all the tumors were pathologically confirmed to be schwannomas. Together, the medical history, imaging, and pathology findings indicated the diagnosis of segmental schwannomatosis. By the imaging diagnostic tools, MRI is the most commonly used in assistance with diagnosis of segmental schwannomatosis while high-frequency ultrasonography is rare. In this paper, we discuss the value of high-frequency ultrasonography in the diagnosis of this rare disease. This case report provides a deeper understanding of segmental schwannomatosis and may help improve the accuracy of preoperative diagnosis.

High ytterbium concentration Yb/Al/P/Ce co-doped silica fiber for 1-µm ultra-short cavity fiber laser application.

We demonstrate a high ytterbium concentration Yb/Al/P/Ce co-doped silica fiber by conventional modified chemical vapor deposition (MCVD) technology and solution doping process. The fiber has a Yb concentration of about 2.5 wt%, and the corresponding core absorption coefficient is measured to be ∼1400 dB/m at 976 nm. The gain coefficient was measured to be approximately 1.0 dB/cm. It is found that the Yb/Al/P/Ce co-doped silica shows a lower photodarkening-induced equilibrium loss of 52 dB/m at 633 nm than the Yb/Al/P co-doped silica fiber of 117 dB/m. Using the heavily Yb3+-doped silica fiber, a compact and robust ultrashort cavity single-frequency fiber laser was achieved with a maximum output power of 75 mW and a linewidth of 14 kHz. Furthermore, a compact passively mode-locked fiber laser (MLFL) with a repetition rate of 1.23 GHz was also proposed using our developed Yb-doped fiber. The laser properties of the proposed lasers were systematically investigated, demonstrating the superior performance of this fiber in terms of photodarkening resistance and ultrashort-cavity laser application. Furthermore, utilizing an all-fiber structure based on silica-based fiber offers the significant advantage of high stability and reliability.

Brillouin gain spectrum characterization in an acoustic anti-guided delivery fiber for high power narrow linewidth laser.

The Brillouin gain spectrum (BGS) provides key information for stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS), such as the Brillouin frequency shift (BFS), Brillouin spontaneous linewidth, and Brillouin gain coefficient. In this study, we theoretically investigate the field distributions and BGS characterization of Ge-doped, Al-doped, and Al/Ge co-doped fibers. Additionally, we analyzed and compared the relationship between the BGS and acoustic refractive index. In particular, we demonstrate the crucial role played by acoustic modes in anti-waveguide structures. The simulation results show that the Brillouin gain coefficient decreases with a decreasing acoustic index in the fiber core region. Furthermore, we experimentally measure the SBS threshold and BGS of the Al/Ge co-doped fiber to examine the validity of the numerical model. The simulated and experimental results are consistent.

321 W high-efficiency continuous-wave green laser produced by single-pass frequency doubling of narrow-linewidth fiber laser.

In this study, a high-power continuous-wave green laser for copper processing is investigated. The laser is produced by single-pass second-harmonic generation (SHG) of a narrow-linewidth fiber laser. Based on Sellmeier equations, the factors (e.g., fundamental wave linewidth, temperature, and angle) that decide LBO noncritical phase matching are theoretically analyzed for optimizing the SHG setup. A narrow-linewidth polarization-maintained fiber laser is used as the fundamental laser with a linewidth of 20 GHz and polarization extinction ratio of greater than 15 dB. Type I noncritical phase-matching LBO is used as the nonlinear crystal in the SHG. A green laser (up to 321 W) is obtained from a 784 W fundamental laser with a conversion efficiency of 40.9%. The green laser is near-diffraction-limited and has a $ M^{2} $ factor of 1.07.

Delivery of CW laser power up to 300 watts at 1080†nm by an uncooled low-loss anti-resonant hollow-core fiber.

In this paper, we report the use of a 3-meter low-loss anti-resonant hollow-core fiber (AR-HCF) to deliver up to 300 W continuous-wave laser power at 1080 nm wavelength from a commercial fiber laser source. A near-diffraction-limited beam is measured at the output of the AR-HCF and no damage to the uncooled AR-HCF is observed for several hours of laser delivery operation. The limit of AR-HCF coupling efficiency and laser-induced thermal effects that were observed in our experiment are also discussed.

Iodine nutrition and prevalence of sonographic thyroid findings in adults in the Heilongjiang Province, China.

BACKGROUND: Thyroid disease and thyroid nodules are common clinical problems. Iodine nutrition plays an important role in thyroid disease evolution. Here, we aimed to estimate the iodine nutritional status and prevalence of thyroid disease in the adults of the Heilongjiang Province in northeast China. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional ultrasound (US)-based survey on volunteers aged 20-70 years from 30 regions of the Heilongjiang Province. The participants were recruited using the probability proportional to size (PPS) method, and consent for US screening was obtained from them. The survey was performed by trained technicians using the same US equipment with a 6-15 MHz linear transducer (MyLab 30 cv, Italy) and was hosted in public community locations such as local hospitals and outpatient departments. Information on basic demographic characteristics, such as urinary iodine and iodine intake were collected. The age- and sex-adjusted prevalence of thyroid disease was determined through direct standardization and reported using the province's population in 2016 as reference. RESULTS: From December 12, 2017, to March 10, 2019, 3,754 participants with a mean age of 48.65 (±12.39) years participated in the study. Of them, 3,643 had reliable urinary iodine data. The median urinary iodine and salt iodine concentrations within the normal range were 163.30 µg/L and 24.30 mg/kg, respectively. The age- and sex-adjusted prevalence of thyroid disease was 52.91%. Diffuse thyroid disease (DTD), focal thyroid lesions (FTL), and coexistence of both diseases were prevalent in 8.68%, 36.58%, and 7.65% of the participants, respectively. The prevalence of the five categories according to US-based survey features in the ACR TI-RADS (i.e., TR1, TR2, TR3, TR4, and TR5) was 7.71%, 14.53%, 3.44%, 14.82%, and 3.51%, and the prevalence of nodules that needed fine-needle aspiration was 2.55%. CONCLUSIONS: In Heilongjiang Province, adults aged 20-70 years belong to the optimal iodine status. Further, the salt iodine levels are in the normal range. Thyroid diseases are highly prevalent in this age group; however, the intervention rate is low. We provided population-based estimates of the prevalence of thyroid disease and the iodine status in adults of Heilongjiang Province. These findings are useful to support effective intervention planning for thyroid disease.

Photocatalytic Performance and Mechanism Research of Ag/HSTiO2 on Degradation of Methyl Orange.

The Sol-gel method is successfully used to prepare high specific surface area TiO2 (HSTiO2). Then, the photodeposition method is used to composite silver particles with HSTiO2. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, and UV-vis spectroscopy are used to characterize the Ag/HSTiO2 nanocomposites. It can be concluded that the prepared TiO2 has a large specific surface area, reaching 125.5 m2 g-1. Additionally, the addition of silver particles successfully broadens the photoresponse range from the UV region to the visible light region. In order to evaluate the photocatalytic activity of Ag/HSTiO2, we conducted the methyl orange degradation test. The results showed that the photocatalytic activity of the sample is significantly higher than that of pure TiO2.

1α, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 inhibits transforming growth factor ß1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition via ß-catenin pathway.

BACKGROUND: The transforming growth factor ß1 (TGF-ß1)-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been proven associated with the pathogenesis of asthmatic airway remodeling, in which the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway plays an important role, notably with regard to TGF-ß1. Recent studies have shown that 1α, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3(1α, 25(OH)2D3) inhibits TGF-ß1-induced EMT, although the underlying mechanism have not yet been fully elucidated. METHODS: Alveolar epithelial cells were exposed to 1α, 25(OH)2D3, ICG-001, or a combination of both, followed by stimulation with TGF-ß1. The protein expression of E-cadherin, α-smooth muscle actin, fibronectin, and ß-catenin was analyzed by western blotting and immunofluorescence analysis. The mRNA transcript of Snail was analyzed using RT-qPCR, and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) activity was analyzed by gelatin zymogram. The activity of the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway was analyzed using the Top/Fop flash reporters. RESULTS: Both 1α, 25(OH)2D3 and ICG-001 blocked TGF-ß1-induced EMT in alveolar epithelial cells. In addition, the Top/Fop Flash reporters showed that 1α, 25(OH)2D3 suppressed the activity of the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway and reduced the expression of target genes, including MMP-9 and Snail, in synergy with ICG-001. CONCLUSION: 1α, 25(OH)2D3 synergizes with ICG-001 and inhibits TGF-ß1-induced EMT in alveolar epithelial cells by negatively regulating the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway.

Preparation and Photocatalytic Performance of Dumbbell Ag2CO3-ZnO Heterojunctions.

Dumbbell Ag2CO3-ZnO heterojunctions were synthesized for the first time via a simple in situ precipitation method. The as-prepared Ag2CO3-ZnO heterojunction showed high photocatalytic activity in the decomposition of methyl orange aqueous solution under simulated solar irradiation. The high improvement of photocatalytic activity compared to that of pure ZnO can be attributed to the formation of the Ag2CO3-ZnO heterojunction. Furthermore, the mechanism of photocatalytic activity was investigated in detail. The free radical trapping experiments indicated that the superoxide radical (·O2 -) was an important active species in the photocatalytic process. This paper provides a new prospect for the preparation of photocatalysts with high catalytic performance in the degradation of dye wastewater.

All-fiber continuous-wave Raman fiber oscillator operating at 2118 nm.

An all-fiber Raman fiber oscillator operating at 2118 nm pumped by homemade thulium-doped fiber laser with continuous output power of 4.2 W has been demonstrated in this paper. By means of 26 m ultrahigh-numerical-aperture fibers, the average slope efficiency can be up to 23.6%. Because of the Raman spectrum broadening of the first Stokes light, the intensity of high order Raman Stokes has been suppressed. The mechanism of Raman spectrum broadening has been analyzed by group-velocity dispersion and Four-Wave Mixing frequency theories in detail. Two mode field adaptors have been used to reduce the intracavity loss and thermal deposition, which indicates that the proposed architecture is robust and has significant power scaling potential.

Narrow-linewidth all-fiber amplifier with up to 3.01 kW output power based on commercial 20/400 µm active fiber and counterpumped configuration.

A multikilowatt all-fiber amplifier with narrow spectral linewidth is investigated by using commercial 20/400 µm active fiber due to its more extensive application prospects. Stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) is suppressed effectively by combining multiple approaches including optimizing linewidth-broadened seed, shortening fiber length, and a counterpumped configuration. Consequently, the output power is pushed up to 3.01 kW with M2=1.17, and the linewidth is maintained at 48 GHz. The detailed characteristics of SBS are presented and analyzed in the frequency and time domains as output power is gradually raised. A high optical-to-optical efficiency is obtained with 85.6% and amplified spontaneous emission is reduced to 40 dB with respect to a laser signal. The proposed architecture reaches a relatively high output power with excellent beam quality under the condition of the equivalent linewidth for the commercial 20/400 µm active fibers in robustly all-fiberized structures.

Prior knowledge snake segmentation of ultrasound images denoised by J-divergence anisotropy diffusion.

BACKGROUND: Applying transrectal ultrasound to robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy has attracted attention in recent years, and it is considered as a proper method to provide real-time subsurface anatomic features. A precise registration between the ultrasound equipment and robotic surgical system is necessary, which usually requires a fast and accurate recognition of the registration tool in the ultrasound image. METHODS: Tissue forceps are chosen as the registration tool. J-divergence anisotropy diffusion and prior knowledge snake segmentation are proposed for the automatic recognition of forceps in ultrasound images. RESULTS: Simulation, gel tissue phantom experiments and in vitro experiments are carried out. Several evaluation indices are calculated to compare results under different methods. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed methods are proved to be practicable, reliable and superior to existing ones, with reduced calculation time and higher accuracy.

High brightness, high SNR radio-frequency signal generated by an all-fibered linear-polarization single-mode dual-frequency fiber laser.

A high brightness, high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) linear-polarization optically generated radio-frequency signal is demonstrated based on an all-fibered master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) configuration. The seed signal is generated by beating two different frequency beams which are split from the same single frequency laser source. One beam has initial frequency and the other beam is shifted by 200 MHz using an acoustic-optical modulator. The combined beam contains two frequency components with a frequency difference of 200 MHz and this dual-frequency laser signal is then amplified by a three-stage all-fibered amplifier. In order to obtain high brightness output, a single mode fiber with 10 µm core diameter is adopted in the amplifier chain. A designed step-distribution strain is applied on the active fiber for the suppression of stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) effect. As a result, up to 143 W output power is achieved with the slop efficiency of 81.4%. The beam quality factors (M2) are measured to 1.06 (Mx2) and 1.04 (My2) and the SNR is up to 54.7 dB. These two frequency components with a certain frequency gap can be identically amplified via the fiber amplifier and the beat note stability, modulation depth as well as SNR are well maintained before and after amplification. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest reported brightness of the optically generated radio-frequency signal.

Four-dimensional hysterosalpingo-contrast sonography with auxiliary hydrogen peroxide examination for the diagnosis of fallopian tube patency following interventional treatment of ovarian ectopic cysts.

OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to explore the practical value of using four-dimensional hysterosalpingo-contrast sonography with auxiliary hydrogen peroxide examination which is necessary for the diagnosis of fallopian tube patency following treatment of ovarian ectopic cysts. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of hysterosalpingography (HSG) examination data from 71 patients who had received sonography-guided interventional treatment for ovarian ectopic cysts at the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University was carried out. The 71 cases were divided into three groups. Four-dimensional hysterosalpingo-contrast sonography (4D-HyCoSy) with the contrast agent SonoVue was carried out in the first group (4D-HyCoSy group), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) examinations were carried out in the second group (H2O2 group), and the final group consisted of patients who underwent 4D-HyCoSy followed by an auxiliary H2O2 examination where necessary (4D-HyCoSy/H2O2 group). Results of these examinations were then compared to those of a standard HSG examination using lipiodol radiography that had been carried out a month beforehand. RESULTS: (1) The rates of diagnostic accordance with standard HSG examination results for the 4D-HyCoSy, H2O2, and 4D-HyCoSy/H2O2 groups were 86.9, 70.5 and 91.8% respectively. The H2O2 group accordance rate was significantly lower than that of the other two groups (p < 0.05). (2) Compared to the tubal patency results of the standard HSG examination, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and Youden index of the 4D-HyCoSy group were 83.3, 89.3, 83.3, 89.3, and 0.73% respectively. For the H2O2 group, these values were 66.7, 73.9, 70, 70.8, and 0.41%, respectively, and for the 4D-HyCoSy/H2O2 group were 90, 93.5, 90, 93.5, and 0.84%, respectively. All of these values were significantly higher in the 4D-HyCoSy/H2O2 group than in the other two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The use 4D-HyCoSy with auxiliary H2O2 examination for the diagnosis of tubal patency is safe, non-invasive, and easy to carry out. It can also improve the diagnostic accuracy rate of 4D-HyCoSy and H2O2 examinations used on their own.

HEDD: the human epigenetic drug database.

Epigenetic drugs are chemical compounds that target disordered post-translational modification of histone proteins and DNA through enzymes, and the recognition of these changes by adaptor proteins. Epigenetic drug-related experimental data such as gene expression probed by high-throughput sequencing, co-crystal structure probed by X-RAY diffraction and binding constants probed by bio-assay have become widely available. The mining and integration of multiple kinds of data can be beneficial to drug discovery and drug repurposing. HEMD and other epigenetic databases store comprehensively epigenetic data where users can acquire segmental information of epigenetic drugs. However, some data types such as high-throughput datasets are not provide by these databases and they do not support flexible queries for epigenetic drug-related experimental data. Therefore, in reference to HEMD and other epigenetic databases, we developed a relatively comprehensive database for human epigenetic drugs. The human epigenetic drug database (HEDD) focuses on the storage and integration of epigenetic drug datasets obtained from laboratory experiments and manually curated information. The latest release of HEDD incorporates five kinds of datasets: (i) drug, (ii) target, (iii) disease, (vi) high-throughput and (v) complex. In order to facilitate data extraction, flexible search options were built in HEDD, which allowed an unlimited condition query for specific kinds of datasets using drug names, diseases and experiment types.Database URL: http://hedds.org/.

Sympathoexcitation in Rats With Chronic Heart Failure Depends on Homeobox D10 and MicroRNA-7b Inhibiting GABBR1 Translation in Paraventricular Nucleus.

BACKGROUND: Chronic heart failure (CHF) increases sympathoexcitation through angiotensin II (ANG II) receptors (AT1R) in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN). Recent publications indicate both γ-aminobutyric acid B-type receptor 1 (GABBR1) and microRNA-7b (miR-7b) are expressed in the PVN. We hypothesized that ANG II regulates sympathoexcitation through homeobox D10 (HoxD10), which regulates miR-7b in other tissues. METHODS AND RESULTS: Ligation of the left anterior descendent coronary artery in rats caused CHF and sympathoexcitation. PVN expression of AT1R, HoxD10, and miR-7b was increased, whereas GABBR1 was lower in CHF. Infusion of miR-7b in the PVN caused sympathoexcitation in control animals and enhanced the changes in CHF. Antisense miR-7b infused in PVN normalized GABBR1 expression while attenuating CHF symptoms, including sympathoexcitation. A luciferase reporter assay detected miR-7b binding to the 3' untranslated region of GABBR1 that was absent after targeted mutagenesis. ANG II induced HoxD10 and miR-7b in NG108 cells, effects blocked by AT1R blocker losartan and by HoxD10 silencing. miR-7b transfection into NG108 cells decreased GABBR1 expression, which was inhibited by miR-7b antisense. In vivo PVN knockdown of AT1R attenuated the symptoms of CHF, whereas HoxD10 overexpression exaggerated them. Finally, in vivo PVN ANG II infusion caused dose-dependent sympathoexcitation that was abrogated by miR-7b antisense and exaggerated by GABBR1 silencing. CONCLUSIONS: There is an ANG II/AT1R/HoxD10/miR-7b/GABBR1 pathway in the PVN that contributes to sympathoexcitation and deterioration of cardiac function in CHF.

Dual-wavelength narrow-linewidth linearly polarized seed source and stimulated Brillouin scattering suppression in its high-power fiber amplification.

In this paper, we demonstrate a dual-wavelength narrow-linewidth linearly polarized all-fiber amplifier emitting 1035 and 1030 nm wavelengths with a high power of 80.0 W. The seed source features two sets of fiber Bragg gratings fabricated on polarization maintaining fibers and a ytterbium-doped fiber as the gain medium. Two wavelengths propagate in one overlapping cavity and the power ratio can be tuned by a coiling fiber setup. A master oscillator power amplifier system consisting of a two-stage amplifier is employed. Longitudinally varied strains are applied on the gain fiber to suppress the back-scattered Stokes light in the main amplifier stage. With an appropriate seed power ratio, we are able to generate amplification power to 80.0 W comprised of 1035 and 1030 nm light while achieving an increase of at least six times that of the stimulated Brillouin scattering threshold. Since both frequencies are propagating in one cavity and amplified in one gain medium, the 1035 and 1030 nm lasers have good temporal and spatial overlapping characteristics. This high-power MHz-level linearly polarized structure affords a compact, novel, and high-efficiency approach to different frequency generation of mid-infrared or terahertz emission.

Ultrasonography-guided multidrug stratification interventional therapy for cesarean scar pregnancy.

PURPOSE: To explore the clinical value of ultrasonography-guided multidrug stratification interventional therapy for cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP). METHODS: Aspiration of gestational sac fluid, injection of methotrexate in the sac, injection of homeostatic agent and pituitrin in the uterine muscle layer, and injection of triple anti-inflammatory drugs around the uterus in 12 patients with CSP. The lesion volume, serum ß-hCG level, and blood flow were observed. RESULTS: The mean ß-hCG level continued to decrease posttreatment, and the greatest reduction occurred in week 1. The mean number of days needed for serum ß-hCG values to decrease to normal level was 39.1 ± 10.1 days. Mass volumes reduced and the mean number of days for the masses to disappear was 24.6 ± 14.1 days. The blood flow around the lesions continued to decrease. CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasonography-guided multidrug interventional therapy for CSP is a new, safe, effective, minimally invasive method.

Systematic analysis of time-series gene expression data on tumor cell-selective apoptotic responses to HDAC inhibitors.

SAHA (suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid or vorinostat) is the first nonselective histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). SAHA affects histone acetylation in chromatin and a variety of nonhistone substrates, thus influencing many cellular processes. In particularly, SAHA induces selective apoptosis of tumor cells, although the mechanism is not well understood. A series of microarray experiments was recently conducted to investigate tumor cell-selective proapoptotic transcriptional responses induced by SAHA. Based on that gene expression time series, we propose a novel framework for detailed analysis of the mechanism of tumor cell apoptosis selectively induced by SAHA. Our analyses indicated that SAHA selectively disrupted the DNA damage response, cell cycle, p53 expression, and mitochondrial integrity of tumor samples to induce selective tumor cell apoptosis. Our results suggest a possible regulation network. Our research extends the existing research.

Kilowatt Ytterbium-Raman fiber laser.

A kilowatt-level Raman fiber laser is demonstrated with an integrated Ytterbium-Raman fiber amplifier architecture. A high power Ytterbium-doped fiber master oscillator power amplifier at 1080 nm is seeded with a 1120 nm fiber laser at the same time. By this way, a kilowatt-level Raman pump laser at 1080 nm and signal laser at 1120 nm is combined in the fiber core. The subsequent power conversion from 1080 nm to 1120 nm is accomplished in a 70 m long passive fiber. A 1.28 kW all-fiber Raman amplifier at 1120 nm with an optical efficiency of 70% is demonstrated, limited only by the available pump power. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of Raman fiber laser with over one kilowatt output.