The oxidized phospholipid PGPC impairs endothelial function by promoting endothelial cell ferroptosis via FABP3.

Ferroptosis is a novel cell death mechanism that is mediated by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation. It may be involved in atherosclerosis development. Products of phospholipid oxidation play a key role in atherosclerosis. 1-palmitoyl-2-glutaroyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (PGPC) is a phospholipid oxidation product present in atherosclerotic lesions. It remains unclear whether PGPC causes atherosclerosis by inducing endothelial cell ferroptosis. In this study, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were treated with PGPC. Intracellular levels of ferrous iron, lipid peroxidation, superoxide anions (O2•-), and glutathione were detected, and expression of fatty acid binding protein-3 (FABP3), glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), and CD36 were measured. Additionally, the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) was determined. Aortas from C57BL6 mice were isolated for vasodilation testing. Results showed that PGPC increased ferrous iron levels, the production of lipid peroxidation and O2•-, and FABP3 expression. However, PGPC inhibited the expression of GPX4 and glutathione production and destroyed normal MMP. These effects were also blocked by ferrostatin-1, an inhibitor of ferroptosis. FABP3 silencing significantly reversed the effect of PGPC. Furthermore, PGPC stimulated CD36 expression. Conversely, CD36 silencing reversed the effects of PGPC, including PGPC-induced FABP3 expression. Importantly, E06, a direct inhibitor of the oxidized 1-palmitoyl-2-arachidonoyl-phosphatidylcholine IgM natural antibody, inhibited the effects of PGPC. Finally, PGPC impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilation, ferrostatin-1 or FABP3 inhibitors inhibited this impairment. Our data demonstrate that PGPC impairs endothelial function by inducing endothelial cell ferroptosis through the CD36 receptor to increase FABP3 expression. Our findings provide new insights into the mechanisms of atherosclerosis and a therapeutic target for atherosclerosis.

Expression of regional brain amyloid-ß deposition with [18F]Flutemetamol in Centiloid scale -a multi-site study.

PURPOSE: The Centiloid project helps calibrate the quantitative amyloid-ß (Aß) load into a unified Centiloid (CL) scale that allows data comparison across multi-site. How the smaller regional amyloid converted into CL has not been attempted. We first aimed to express regional Aß deposition in CL using [18F]Flutemetamol and evaluate regional Aß deposition in CL with that in standardized uptake value ratio (SUVr). Second, we aimed to determine the presence or absence of focal Aß deposition by measuring regional CL in equivocal cases showing negative global CL. METHODS: Following the Centiloid project pipeline, Level-1 replication, Level-2 calibration, and quality control were completed to generate corresponding Centiloid conversion equations to convert SUVr into Centiloid at regional levels. In equivocal cases, the regional CL was compared with visual inspection to evaluate regional Aß positivity. RESULTS: 14 out of 16 regional conversions from [18F]Flutemetamol SUVr to Centiloid successfully passed the quality control, showing good reliability and relative variance, especially precuneus/posterior cingulate and prefrontal regions with good stability for Centiloid scaling. The absence of focal Aß deposition could be detected by measuring regional CL, showing a high agreement rate with visual inspection. The regional Aß positivity in the bilateral anterior cingulate cortex was most prevalent in equivocal cases. CONCLUSION: The expression of regional brain Aß deposition in CL with [18F]Flutemetamol has been attempted in this study. Equivocal cases had focal Aß deposition that can be detected by measuring regional CL.

Voltage-gated sodium channel gene mutation and P450 gene expression are associated with the resistance of Aphis spiraecola Patch (Hemiptera: Aphididae) to lambda-cyhalothrin.

Aphis spiraecola Patch is one of the most economically important tree fruit pests worldwide. The pyrethroid insecticide lambda-cyhalothrin is commonly used to control A. spiraecola. In this 2-year study, we quantified the resistance level of A. spiraecola to lambda-cyhalothrin in different regions of the Shaanxi province, China. The results showed that A. spiraecola had reached extremely high resistance levels with a 174-fold resistance ratio (RR) found in the Xunyi region. In addition, we compared the enzymatic activity and expression level of P450 genes among eight A. spiraecola populations. The P450 activity of A. spiraecola was significantly increased in five regions (Xunyi, Liquan, Fengxiang, Luochuan, and Xinping) compared to susceptible strain (SS). The expression levels of CYP6CY7, CYP6CY14, CYP6CY22, P4504C1-like, P4506a13, CYP4CZ1, CYP380C47, and CYP4CJ2 genes were significantly increased under lambda-cyhalothrin treatment and in the resistant field populations. A L1014F mutation in the sodium channel gene was found and the mutation rate was positively correlated with the LC50 of lambda-cyhalothrin. In conclusion, the levels of lambda-cyhalothrin resistance of A. spiraecola field populations were associated with P450s and L1014F mutations. Our combined findings provide evidence on the resistance mechanism of A. spiraecola to lambda-cyhalothrin and give a theoretical basis for rational and effective control of this pest species.

Assessment of battery utilization and energy consumption in the large-scale development of urban electric vehicles.

Electrifying transportation in the form of the large-scale development of electric vehicles (EVs) plays a pivotal role in reducing urban atmospheric pollution and alleviating fossil fuel dependence. However, the rising scale of EV deployment is exposing problems that were previously hidden in small-scale EV applications, and the lack of large-scale EV operating data deters relevant explorations. Here, we report several issues related to the battery utilization and energy consumption of urban-scale EVs by connecting three unique datasets of real-world operating states of over 3 million Chinese EVs, operational data, and vehicle feature data. Meanwhile, by incorporating climatic data and EV data outside China, we extend our models to several metropolitan areas worldwide. We find that blindly increasing the battery energy of urban EVs could be detrimental to sustainable development. The impact of changes in the energy consumption of EVs would be exacerbated in large-scale EV utilization, especially during seasonal shifts. For instance, even with a constant monthly driving demand, the average energy consumption of Beijing light-duty EVs would change by up to 21% during winter-spring shifts. Our results may also prove useful for research on battery resources, urban power supply, environmental impacts, and policymaking.

Polyurethane foam dressing with non-adherent membrane improves negative pressure wound therapy in pigs.

OBJECTIVE: Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is considered to be an effective technique to promote the healing of various wounds. The aim of this study was to evaluate different wound dressings combined with NPWT in treating wounds in Wuzhishan pigs. METHOD: Excisions were made in the backs of the pigs and were covered with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) dressing, polyurethane (PU) dressing or PU dressing with non-adherent membrane (PU-non-ad). NPWT was applied to the wound site. In the control group, basic occlusive dressing (gauze) without NPWT was applied. On days 0, 3, 7, 14, 21 and 28 post-surgery, the wound size was measured during dressing change, and wound healing rate (WHR) was calculated. In addition, blood perfusion within 2cm of the surrounding wound was measured by laser doppler flowmetry. Dressing specimen was collected and microbiology was analysed. Granulation tissues from the central part of the wounds were analysed for histology, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and cluster of differentiation 31 (CD31) mRNA expression. RESULTS: The PU-non-ad-NPWT significantly (p<0.01) accelerated wound healing in the pigs. Further pathological analysis revealed that the non-adherent membrane effectively protected granulation tissue formation in PU-NPWT treated wounds. The blood perfusion analysis suggested that the non-adherent membrane improved the blood supply to the wound area. Microbiological analysis showed that non-adherent membrane decreased the bacterial load in the PU-NPWT dressing. VEGF and CD31 mRNA expression was upregulated in the wound tissue from the PU-non-ad-NPWT treated groups. CONCLUSION: In this study, the PU dressing with non-adherent membrane was an ideal dressing in NPWT-assisted wound healing.

Pamrevlumab for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: The ZEPHYRUS-1 Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Current treatments for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis slow the rate of lung function decline, but may be associated with adverse events that affect medication adherence. In phase 2 trials, pamrevlumab (a fully human monoclonal antibody that binds to and inhibits connective tissue growth factor activity) attenuated the progression of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis without substantial adverse events. Objective: To assess the efficacy and safety of pamrevlumab for patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Design, Setting, and Participants: Phase 3 randomized clinical trial including 356 patients aged 40 to 85 years with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis who were not receiving antifibrotic treatment with nintedanib or pirfenidone at enrollment. Patients were recruited from 117 sites in 9 countries between July 18, 2019, and July 29, 2022; the last follow-up encounter occurred on August 28, 2023. Interventions: Pamrevlumab (30 mg/kg administered intravenously every 3 weeks; n = 181) or placebo (n = 175) for 48 weeks. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was absolute change in forced vital capacity (FVC) from baseline to week 48. There were 5 secondary outcomes (including time to disease progression, which was defined as a decline of ≥10% in predicted FVC or death). The exploratory outcomes included patient-reported symptoms. Adverse events were reported. Results: Among 356 patients (mean age, 70.5 years; 258 [72.5%] were men; 221 [62.1%] were White), 277 (77.8%) completed the trial. There was no significant between-group difference for absolute change in FVC from baseline to week 48 (least-squares mean, -260 mL [95% CI, -350 to -170 mL] in the pamrevlumab group vs -330 mL [95% CI, -430 to -230 mL] in the placebo group; mean between-group difference, 70 mL [95% CI, -60 to 190 mL], P = .29). There were no significant between-group differences in any of the secondary outcomes or in the patient-reported outcomes. In the pamrevlumab group, there were 160 patients (88.4%) with treatment-related adverse events and 51 patients (28.2%) with serious adverse events vs 151 (86.3%) and 60 (34.3%), respectively, in the placebo group. During the study, 23 patients died in each group (12.7% in the pamrevlumab group vs 13.1% in the placebo group). Conclusions and Relevance: Among patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis treated with pamrevlumab or placebo, there was no statistically significant between-group difference for the primary outcome of absolute change in FVC from baseline to week 48. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03955146.

Sub-pm linewidth, high pulse energy, high beam quality microsecond-pulse Ti:sapphire laser at 766.699†nm.

In this letter, a sub-pm linewidth, high pulse energy and high beam quality microsecond-pulse 766.699 nm Ti:sapphire laser pumped by a frequency-doubled Nd:YAG laser is demonstrated. At an incident pump energy of 824 mJ, the maximum output energy of 132.5 mJ at 766.699 nm with linewidth of 0.66 pm and a pulse width of 100 µs is achieved at a repetition rate of 5 Hz. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest pulse energy at 766.699 nm with pulse width of hundred micro-seconds for a Ti:sapphire laser. The beam quality factor M2 is measured to be 1.21. It could be precisely tuned from 766.623 to 766.755 nm with a tuning resolution of 0.8 pm. The wavelength stability is measured to be less than ±0.7 pm over 30 min. The sub-pm linewidth, high pulse energy and high beam quality Ti:sapphire laser at 766.699 nm can be used to create a polychromatic laser guide star together with a home-made 589 nm laser in the mesospheric sodium and potassium layer for the tip-tilt correction resulting in the near-diffraction limited imagery on a large telescope.

Prophylactic Effect of Simultaneous Placement of Mesh on Incidence of Parastomal Hernia After Miles' Surgical Resection of Colorectal Cancer: A Prospective Study.

INTRODUCTION: To assess the prophylactic effect of simultaneous placement of mesh and the incidence of parastomal hernia (PSH) after abdominoperineal resection of rectal cancer. METHODS: This study included real-world data of 56 surgically resected patients with colorectal cancer who were consecutively assigned to two groups: control (no mesh, n = 32) and experimental (received mesh, n = 24). An artificial patch was placed under the tunica vaginalis of rectus abdominis for patients in the experimental group, whereas those in the control group received routine sigmoidostomy. The median follow-up time was >20 mo. The difference in hazards function was analyzed by cox regression analysis. The Kaplan-Meir analysis was used to determine the survival curves. A P value of <0.05 was considered as significant. RESULTS: The postoperative incidence rate of PSH was lower in the experimental (41.7%) group than in the control group (71.9%; P = 0.045). The PSH postoperative time in the experimental group was significantly delayed compared to the control group (48 mo versus 10 mo; P < 0.001). The risk of progression from H1 to H2 was less in the experimental group compared to the control group (49.28% versus 60.86%; P = 0.14). CONCLUSIONS: Prophylactic mesh placement significantly prolonged postoperative time for the recurrence of PSH. The incidence of recurrence of H2 (severe PSH) requiring secondary surgical repair was also reduced.

Epidemiology of suspected life-threatening perioperative anaphylaxis: a cross-sectional multicentre study in China.

BACKGROUND: Perioperative anaphylaxis is relatively rare but can be life-threatening. The incidence in China is unknown and may differ from other global geographic regions. This study was therefore designed to understand the incidence of perioperative anaphylaxis in China. METHODS: We enrolled 112 tertiary care hospitals from seven distinct geographic areas in mainland China. We collected information about Ring and Messmer III and IV reactions from September 2018 to August 2019. A collaborative educational learning network was used to reduce diagnostic errors. Information about patient characteristics, clinical features, treatment, and clinical outcomes were recorded and analysed. RESULTS: A total of 447 cases of 5 078 118 surgical procedures met inclusion criteria. The incidence of suspected perioperative anaphylaxis throughout China was one in 11 360 anaesthetics (95% confidence interval [CI], with a range of 1:12 521 to 1:10 397). The incidence in South China was higher (one in 6050; 95% CI, from 1:8013 to 1:4859) than in Northeast China (one in 19 262; 95% CI, from 1:33 088 to 1:13 585) (P<0.01) with an increasing trend from the north to the south. The most common clinical manifestations were hypotension (91.1%) and tachycardia (65.3%). The majority of patients (83.4%) were given epinephrine. A total of 27 patients (6.0%) required cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Ultimately, nine patients died (2.0%). CONCLUSIONS: This nationwide survey showed an incidence of perioperative anaphylaxis of one in 11 360, but this varied significantly by region. The underlying reason for this pattern remains unknown and could be attributable to environmental or genetic influences, which requires further investigation. CLINICAL REGISTRY NUMBER: ChiCTR1900025956.

A Retrospective Study of SVF-gel Compared With Nanofat Combined With High-density Fat in the Treatment of Early Periorbital Aging.

PURPOSE: To compare the effectiveness of transplantation with stromal vascular fraction (SVF)-gel or nanofat combined with high-density fat prepared with the Coleman technique (nanofat+high-density fat) to restore volume in the periorbital region or for periorbital rejuvenation in early periorbital aging. METHODS: This retrospective study included 103 patients who received a transplant of SVF-gel (n = 58) or nanofat+high-density fat (n = 45) to restore volume in the periorbital region (n = 85) or for periorbital rejuvenation (n = 18) in our hospital between January 2016 and January 2020. Patient satisfaction and the reoperation rate were evaluated. RESULTS: All patients had improved periorbital contouring and augmentation. Among the patients that received treatment to restore volume in the periorbital region, 17% and 65.9% of patients administered SVF-gel were very satisfied or satisfied, and 5.3% and 44.7% of patients administered nanofat+high-density fat were very satisfied or satisfied. PATIENTS: administered SVF-gel were significantly more satisfied than patients administered nanofat+high-density fat with improvements in periorbital contouring ( p < 0.05). Among the patients that received treatment for periorbital rejuvenation, 54.5% and 27.3% of patients administered SVF-gel were very satisfied or satisfied, and 28.6% and 42.8% of patients administered nanofat+high-density fat were very satisfied or satisfied. There was no significant difference between groups ( p > 0.05). Some patients underwent a second operation after 3 to 8 months. Patients administered SVF-gel to restore volume in the periorbital region had a significantly lower reoperation rate than patients administered nanofat+high-density fat (12.7% [6/47] vs. 34.2% [13/38]; p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the reoperation rate in patients treated for periorbital rejuvenation (9.1% [1/11] vs. 14.3% [1/7]; p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: SVF-gel and nanofat+high-density fat are effective for restoring volume in the periorbital region and for periorbital rejuvenation in early periorbital aging. The reoperation rate was significantly lower and patient satisfaction scores were significantly higher in patients administered SVF-gel to restore volume in the periorbital region compared with patients administered nanofat+high-density fat.

The involvement of α-proteobacteria Phenylobacterium in maintaining the dominance of toxic Microcystis blooms in Lake Taihu, China.

Lake Taihu in China has suffered serious harmful cyanobacterial blooms for decades. The algal blooms threaten the ecological sustainability, drinking water safety, and human health. Although the roles of abiotic factors (such as water temperature and nutrient loading) in promoting Microcystis blooms have been well studied, the importance of biotic factors (e.g. bacterial community) in promoting and meditating Microcystis blooms remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the ecological dynamics of bacterial community, the ratio of toxic Microcystis, as well as microcystin in Lake Taihu. High-throughput 16S rRNA sequencing and principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the bacteria community compositions (BCCs) clustered into three groups, the partitioning of which corresponded to that of groups according to the toxic profiles (the ratio of toxic Microcystis to total Microcystis, and the microcystin concentrations) of the samples. Further Spearman's correlation network showed that the α-proteobacteria Phenylobacterium strongly positively correlated with the toxic profiles. Subsequent laboratory chemostats experiments demonstrated that three Phenylobacterium strains promoted the dominance of the toxic Microcystis aeruginosa PCC7806 when co-culturing with the non-toxic PCC7806 mcyB- mutant. Taken together, our data suggested that the α-proteobacteria Phenylobacterium may play a vital role in the maintenance of toxic Microcystis dominance in Lake Taihu.

Numerical study on the influence of the linewidth of a QCW pulsed sodium laser on the brightness of a guide star.

In this paper, we investigated the impact of the linewidth of a QCW pulsed sodium laser on the brightness performance of a generating sodium laser guide star by using the numerical simulation tool PRS. We compared the field test results with the simulation results for two TIPC's 30W class sodium guide star lasers and found the results are in good agreement which proves the tool can be used for prediction. Then, we used the tool to study the influence of D2b repumping and different linewidths from 10MHz to 1GHz on the coupling efficiency and the photon return flux. For the TIPC's QCW pulsed solid-state laser, when the on-sky power density is 1 W/m2, the coupling efficiency is 79.6 (photons/s/W/(atoms/m2)) without D2b repumping, however, the value is up to 213.3 (photons/s/W/(atoms/m2)) with 15% D2b enabled and is increased by 168% than the value without D2b; when the power density reaches 10 W/m2, the coupling efficiencies without D2b and with 15% D2b are 66.6 and 233.6 (photons/s/W/(atoms/m2)), respectively. The results show that for the QCW pulsed laser, D2b repumping is necessary. With D2b enabled, if the spectral linewidth is too wide or too narrow, the photon return flux will be adversely affected. The return flux of 60MHz is 52.5% higher than that of 1GHz, while the return flux of 300MHz is 37.8% higher than that of 10 MHz when the laser power is 100W.

MiR-325-3p mediate the CXCL17/CXCR8 axis to regulate angiogenesis in hepatocellular carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: MicroRNA-325-3p (miR-325-3p) is involved in the progression of a great number of tumors. However, the regulatory mechanism of miR-325-3p on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear. AIM: In this paper, we aim to investigate the underlying mechanism by which miR-325-3p regulate the progression of HCC. METHODS: RT-qPCR was performed to detect the levels of miR-325-3p, CXCL17, and CXCR8. Western bolt was conducted to determine the levels of pro-angiogenic factors VEGF, FGF2, Ang-1 and PDGF-B. Immunohistochemistry was carried to detect the distribution and expression of Ki-67 and CD34 in HCC tissues. MTT and colony formation were carried to evaluate cell proliferation, endothelial tube-formation assay was used detect tubule formation, and transwell assay was performed to evaluate cell migration and invasion ability. Dual-luciferase activity assay was used to verify the relationship between miR-325-3p and CXCL17. RESULTS: MiR-325-3p was down-regulated in HCC cells and tissues, miR-325-3p overexpression inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of HCC cells. Besides, miR-325-3p overexpression inhibited angiogenesis of HCC. CXCL17 is a direct target of miR-325-3p and partially mediates the effect of miR-325-3p on proliferation, migration, invasion and angiogenesis of HCC. CONCLUSION: MiR-325-3p regulated angiogenesis of HCC via mediating CXCL17/CXCR8 axis, indicating miR-325-3p may serve as a promising therapy biomarker for HCC.

[Study on tanshinones regulating root-associated microbiomes of Salvia miltiorrhiza].

The plant root-associated microbiomes include root microbiome and rhizosphere microbiome, which are closely related to plant life activities. Nearly 30% of photosynthesis products of plants are used to synthesize root compounds, there is evidence that root compounds regulate and significantly affect the root microbiome Tanshinones are the main hydrophobic components in Salvia miltiorrhiza. In order to study whether these compounds can regulate the root-associated microbiomes of S. miltiorrhiza, our study first identified a white root S. miltiorrhiza(BG) which contains little tanshinones. Retain of the fifth intron of tanshinones synthesis key enzyme gene SmCPS1 leading to the early termination of the SmCPS1 gene, and a stable white root phenotype. Further, wild type(WT) and BG were planted in greenhouse with nutrient soil(Pindstrup, Denmark) and Shandong soil(collected from the S. miltiorrhiza base in Weifang, Shandong), then high-throughput sequencing was used to analyze the root-associated microbiomes. The results showed that the tanshinones significantly affected the root-associated microbiomes of S. miltiorrhiza, and the impact on root microbiomes was more significant. There are significant differences between WT and BG root microbiomes in species richness, dominant strains and co-occurrence network. Tanshinones have a certain repelling effect on Bacilli which belongs to Gram-positive, while specifically attract some Gram-negative bacteria such as Betaproteobacteria and some specific genus of Alphaproteobacteria. This study determined the important role of tanshinones in regulating the structure of root-associated microbiomes from multiple angles, and shed a light for further improving the quality and yield of S. miltiorrhiza through microenvironment regulation.

High-power repetition rate- and pulse width-tunable 589†nm versatile laser for adaptive optical systems.

Compact high-power yellow laser is a critical part for sodium beacon adaptive optical systems. A narrow-linewidth quasi-continuous-wave (QCW) solid-state 589 nm laser with high-power and high beam quality simultaneously is investigated here, operating in hundreds-microsecond pulse duration with a tunable repetition rate of 400 to 1 kHz, which is flexible to allow the telescope to move in observing direction. The laser source is based on employing sum-frequency generation between 1319 and 1064 nm QCW Nd:YAG amplifiers. For a 100 µs pulse duration and 400 Hz repetition rate, the yellow laser provides a highest output power of 86.1 W with beam quality M2 = 1.37. The central wavelength can be precisely tuned to sodium-D2a line at 589.159 nm with a ∼440 MHz linewidth. This is the maximum power-reported for all-solid-state sodium guide star laser demonstrated to date. The result represents a key step toward solving the requirement of multi-conjugate adaptive optics for large adaptive optical telescopes.

High-repetition-rate 100 W level sodium beacon laser for a multi-conjugate adaptive optics system.

A 100 W level kilohertz repetition-rate microsecond (µs)-pulse all-solid-state sodium beacon laser at 589 nm is demonstrated for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, via combining two independent µs-pulsed lasers. Each beamlet is generated by the sum-frequency mixing of pulsed 1064 and 1319 nm lasers in a lithium triborate (LBO) crystal, which operate at 500 Hz pulse repetition frequency with 61 W $p$p-polarized and 53 W $s$s-polarized output, respectively. An incoherent sequence combining technology of polarized laser beams is employed to add the two beamlets. The average power of the combined beam is up to 107.5 W with a combining efficiency of 94.3%. The combined beam has a 1 kHz repetition rate with ${\sim}{120}\;\unicode{x00B5} {\rm s}$∼120µs pulse duration and beam quality ${M^2} = {1.41}$M2=1.41. The central wavelength with a linewidth of ${\sim}{0.3}\;{\rm GHz}$∼0.3GHz is locked to a sodium ${{\rm D}_{2a}}$D2a absorption line. To the best of our knowledge, this is a record-high power operating at kilohertz for µs-pulsed solid-state sodium beacon lasers.

Void-free bonding for a large slab laser crystal.

A void-free bonding technique was demonstrated for a large slab Nd: YAG crystal with a bonding surface dimension of ∼160mm×70mm. By using the novel fluxless oxide layer removal technology, the indium-oxide barrier problem was resolved. With the help of electrochemical-polished indium solder and a plasma-cleaned heat sink, the solderability of the indium was enhanced; in particular, the contact angle of the solder was improved from 51° to 31°. With the largest-bonding-size slab, a single-slab laser created a maximum output power of 7.3 kW under an absorbed pump power of 12.8 kW, corresponding to an optical to optical efficiency of 57% and a slope conversion of 67.8%. By detecting the wavefront of the interferometer before and after bonding, the RMS of wavefront was 0.192λ and 0.434λ (λ=633nm), respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the largest void-free bonding size for a laser slab and the highest output power achieved from a single-slab crystal laser oscillator.

Watt level laser source for a polychromatic laser guide stars: double resonant fluorescence from 3S1/2-3P3/2-3D5/2 transition of sodium atoms.

The polychromatic laser guide star (PLGS) is one of the solutions proposed to measure the differential atmospheric tip-tilt. A watts-level microsecond pulse all solid state laser source with two wavelengths at 589 and 819.7 nm are developed to perform a proof-of-concept on-sky test for what is believed to be the first time. By sum-frequency of 1319 and 1064 nm, a 44 W maximum average output power at 589.159 nm is generated with the pulse width of ~90 µs at 500 Hz, the linewidth of 0.46 pm, and the beam quality of M2 = 1.50. Meanwhile, a 2.4 W average output power is achieved operating at 819.710 nm with the pulse width of ~25 µs at 500 Hz, the linewidth of 0.8 pm, and beam quality factor of M2 = 1.20, which is end-pumped by a frequency-doubled 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser. Moreover, double resonant fluorescence in sodium cell with two step excitation of sodium atom from 3S1/2 to 3D5/2 via 3P3/2 level is observed clearly by tuning the wavelength of 589 and 819.7 nm beams. In the proof-of-principle experiment, it is preliminarily verified that this laser system is expected to be applied to the sky experiment.

A case of mammary sparganosis due to infection with Spirometra mansoni.

The authors report the case of a 56-year-old woman with mammary sparganosis due to infection with a plerocercoid tapeworm larva of Spirometra mansoni. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed an area of heterogeneous density in outer upper quadrant of the right breast, with a high likelihood of malignancy. During surgery for the removal of a granuloma, the parasite was discovered and excised. The authors review the pathological and imaging features of mammary sparganosis.