Search

Epithelial cysts run a high risk of recurrence and conversion to sheet-like ingrowth after surgical intervention. In this retrospective study, we introduced a modified iridectomy for treatment of secondary epithelial iris cysts (EICs) in the anterior chamber. Twenty-nine patients (29 eyes) aged 2–61 years received “open iridectomy” for EICs between April 1995 and July 2019. After viscodissection, most of the cyst wall was cut using a 20-gauge aspiration cutter via a 2.5-mm clear corneal incision. The residue closely adhering to the iris stroma was remained to avoid photophobia and diplopia. At 3 months, best corrected visual acuity was ≥ 20/100 in 55.5% (15/27, except two pediatric patients with poor cooperation) of patients. Among the eight patients suffering partial corneal edema preoperatively, six patients received surgery treatment at 3–6.5 months, and the cornea in the other two patients became transparent after medication. In a mean follow-up of 47.4 months, recurrence occurred in 3 patients at 7, 37, and 118 months, respectively. The percentage of treatment success was 96%, 87%, and 65% at 1, 5, and 10 years, respectively. “Open iridectomy” was effective for EICs, with a minimal invasion, less damage to the corneal endothelium, and a low recurrence rate.

The existing molecular cloning methods are often limited by the availability of suitable restriction sites. It is still a challenge for simultaneous cloning of multiple fragments into different sites of a single vector. Here we developed a novel method named improved overlap extension PCR (IOEP) for restriction enzyme independent cloning of large fragments. The addition of primers enables IOEP to exponentially amplify the overlap extension product, thus greatly improves the amplification efficiency of large fragments. Moreover, coupled with the benefit of T4 DNA polymerase to improve cloning efficiency, our method can be used to simultaneously insert, delete and replace multiple DNA fragments at different sites.

Schizotypy, a subclinical group at risk for schizophrenia, has been found to show impairments in response inhibition. However, it remains unclear whether this impairment is accompanied by outright stopping (reactive inhibition) or preparation for stopping (proactive inhibition). We recruited 20 schizotypy and 24 non-schizotypy individuals to perform a modified stop-signal task with electroencephalographic (EEG) data recorded. This task consists of three conditions based on the probability of stop signal: 0% (no stop trials, only go trials), 17% (17% stop trials), and 33% (33% stop trials), the conditions were indicated by the colour of go stimuli. For proactive inhibition (go trials), individuals with schizotypy exhibited significantly lesser increase in go response time (RT) as the stop signal probability increasing compared to non-schizotypy individuals. Individuals with schizotypy also exhibited significantly increased N1 amplitude on all levels of stop signal probability and increased P3 amplitude in the 17% stop condition compared with non-schizotypy individuals. For reactive inhibition (stop trials), individuals with schizotypy exhibited significantly longer stop signal reaction time (SSRT) in both 17% and 33% stop conditions and smaller N2 amplitude on stop trials in the 17% stop condition than non-schizotypy individuals. These findings suggest that individuals with schizotypy were impaired in both proactive and reactive response inhibition at behavioural and neural levels.

Peripheral perfusion index (PPI) percentiles for newborns serve as an important observation tool in clinical practice, but research pertaining to reference ranges are lacking. The aim of this study was to establish PPI percentiles for healthy newborns by gestational age and sex at 24–48 hours of life. We conducted an observational study and examined PPI values at 24–48 hours of life in 3814 asymptomatic newborns born between 35 and 41 weeks gestation who did not need medical treatment from June 1, 2016 to May 31, 2017 at two maternity hospitals in Shanghai. Linear regression analysis was carried out on the associations between PPI values and variables such as gestational age, sex, and birthweight. Pre-ductal PPI values linearly increased with gestational age (β: 0.072; 95% CI: 0.037, 0.107; P = 0.000). Post-ductal PPI values were also mainly related to gestational age (β: 0.051; 95% CI: 0.018, 0.085; P = 0.003). Smoothed reference curves for pre- and post-ductal PPI values by gestational age and sex were derived from LMS Chart Maker. Our study is the first study to establish PPI percentiles curves for healthy newborns by gestational age and sex at 24–48 hours of life. Further research is required for the implementation of PPI curves into clinical practice.

Cereal/legume intercropping is likely to achieve the optimal exploitation of soil and atmospheric nitrogen (N) sources to maintain high production and quality levels with low N inputs, as an attempt to eliminate underlying environmental effects. Nevertheless, the extent of the effect of cereal/legume intercropping on nodulation and N fixation of intercropped legumes in root interaction requires extensive verification. In the present study, root interaction of alfalfa/triticale intercropping was simulated in pots with the use of root separation types (pot with no barrier (A-T), pot with nylon mesh barrier (NA-T), pot with plastic barrier (PA-T), and alfalfa alone (SA)) in pots. Moreover, the experiment was measured at a range of N levels (N21, N210) and growing stages (branching, budding and initial flowering stages) in growth chamber. As alfalfa was growing, the total nodule number (TNN), effective nodule number (ENN) and nitrogenase activity (NA) of alfalfa with A-T and other cropping systems more noticeably differed from each other at higher N levels, whereas their diversification was reduced at lower N levels. As alfalfa was growing continuously, fresh nodule weight per plant (PNW) and single fresh nodule weight (SNW) with A-T and other cropping systems were amplified more significantly. The nodulation and N fixation ability under N21 were more significant than those under N210. Dry weight of plant per pot (TDW) and nitrogen accumulation of plant per pot (TNA) with A-T were obviously higher than those with other systems in the initial flowering stage, except for TNA under N21. The parameters regarding the nodulation and N fixation ability were significantly positively correlated on the whole. However, SNW and TNA were not significantly correlated, neither were SNW and TDW. According to the mentioned results, the closer root interaction, the better the nodulation form and N fixation ability of alfalfa will be, and the higher the biomass and N accumulation of all plants in pots will be. Interspecific facilitation in alfalfa/triticale intercropping system resulted in a greater yield and N accumulation; it also ultimately enhanced nodulation and N fixation ability, which can be applied in sustainable systems to avoid N loss to the environment and enhance N use efficiency.

Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) has become the third-leading cause of hospital-acquired acute renal injury. Although alprostadil has been proposed as an effective preventative measure, this conclusion remains inconsistent. Thus, we performed a meta-analysis of the published studies on this topic to evaluate the preventative effect of alprostadil on CIN. Databases, including PubMed, the Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Wanfang, the China Biological Medicine Database (SinoMed) and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) were systematically searched. Nineteen clinical trials involving 2267 individuals were identified. We utilized a random or a fixed effect model to calculate the pooled odd ratios (ORs) and the standardized mean differences (SMD), respectively. Compared to the control group, the CIN risk decreased significantly in the alprostadil group (P 0.00001, OR = 0.29, 95% CI = 0.21-0.39). In the subgroup of coronary angiography patients, the use of alprostadil also decreased the risk of CIN (P 0.00001, OR = 0.27, 95% CI: 0.19-0.39). In conclusion, Alprostadil might be associated with a significant reduction in postcontrast Scr, BUN and CysC level and decrease the incidence of CIN.

Agaricus bisporus is in general cultivated on wheat and rice straw in China. However, millet straw is a potential alternative resource for Agaricus bisporus cultivation, but this has hardly been studied. In the present study, the feasibility of millet straw based mushroom production was analyzed by three successive trials. Mature compost demonstrated high quality with total nitrogen, pH, and C/N ratio of 2.0%, 7.5, and 18:1 respectively, which was suitable for mushroom mycelia growth. During composting, 47–50% of cellulose, 63–65% of hemicellulose, and 8–17% lignin were degraded, while 22–27% of cellulose, 14–16% of hemicellulose, and 15–21% of lignin were consumed by A. bisporus mycelia during cultivation. The highest FPUase and CMCase were observed during mushroom flushes. Endo-xylanase had the key role in hemicellulose degradation with high enzyme activity during cultivation stages. Laccase participated in lignin degradation with the highest enzyme activity in Pinning stage followed by a sharp decline at the first flush. Yield was up to 20 kg/m2, as this is similar to growth on wheat straw, this shows that millet straw is an effective resource for mushroom cultivation. Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi, Deinococcus-Thermus, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria were the dominant phyla, based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing during composting. The key environmental factors dominating bacterial communities of the samples were determined to be pH value, cellulose content, and hemicellulose content for prewetting and premixed phase of basic mixture (P0); moisture content for phase I (PI); and nitrogen content, lignin content, and ash content for phase II (PII), respectively.

We propose an effective scheme to implement fast and robust population transfer with a Josephson qutrit via shortcut to adiabaticity. Facilitated by the level-transition rule, a Λ-configuration resonant interaction can be realized between microwave drivings and the qutrit with sufficient level anharmonicity, from which we perform the reversible population transfers via invariant-based shortcut. Compared with the detuned drivings, the utilized resonant drivings shorten the transfer times significantly. Further analysis of the dependence of transfer time on Rabi couplings is helpful to experimental investigations. Thanks to the accelerated process, transfer operation is highly insensitive to noise effects. Thus the protocol could provide a promising avenue to experimentally perform fast and robust quantum operations on Josephson artificial atoms.

The proofreading activity of the archaeal family B DNA polymerases enables PCR with high fidelity. However, thermostable proofreading DNA polymerases occasionally failed to amplify target fragment that could be amplified by Taq DNA polymerase. We have previously showed that G-rich sequences, which form G-quadruplex, can bind to and inhibit proofreading DNA polymerases. Here we showed that single-stranded oligonucleotides containing sequences of TT(N)mGCCTC can bind and inhibit archaeal family B DNA polymerases but not Taq DNA polymerase. It is very likely that TT(N)mGCCTC inhibits thermostable DNA polymerases during PCR in a single-stranded form. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example of DNA sequence that could inhibit DNA polymerase in its single-stranded form.

This study examines the interaction between hERG and Kv4.3. The functional interaction between hERG and Kv4.3, expressed in a heterologous cell line, was studied using patch clamp techniques, western blot, immunofluorescence, and co-immunoprecipitation. Co-expression of Kv4.3 with hERG increased hERG current density (tail current after a step to +10 mV: 26 ± 3 versus 56 ± 7 pA/pF, p in vitro. In addition, Hsp70 interacted with hERG and Kv4.3 respectively, and formed complexes with hERG and Kv4.3. The α subunit of Ito Kv4.3 can interact with and modify the localization of the α subunit of IKr hERG, thus providing potentially novel insights into the molecular mechanism of the malignant ventricular arrhythmia in heart failure.

In non-resonant Auger electron spectroscopies, multi core-ionized states lead to numerous energetically close-lying electronic transitions in Auger spectra, this hampering the assignment and interpretation of the experimental results. Here we reveal a new method to overcome this intrinsic limitation of non-resonant inner-shell spectroscopies. In a proof-of-principle experiment performed for the O2 molecule, most of the Auger final states are dissociative, and we measure in coincidence the kinetic energy of the photoelectron and the kinetic energy release of the (O+, O+) ion pairs produced after the Auger decay of the O 1s−1 core-ionized states. The Auger final states are assigned using energy conservation. We fully separate the contributions from the 4Σ− and 2Σ− intermediate ionic states and conclusively demonstrate that the Auger decay probability can dramatically depend on the different O2 1s−1 intermediate multiplet states. In addition, a metastable Auger final state also exists, with lifetime longer than 3.8 μs, and clear changes are observed in both branching ratio and spectral profile of the O 1s photoelectron spectrum when they are recorded in coincidence with either $${{\bf{O}}}_{{\bf{2}}}^{{\boldsymbol{+}}{\boldsymbol{+}}}$$ O 2 + + or with other ionic species. These changes are attributed to the population of the metastable $${{\boldsymbol{B}}}^{{\boldsymbol{^{\prime} }}3}{{\boldsymbol{\Sigma }}}_{{\boldsymbol{u}}}^{-}({\boldsymbol{\nu }}{\boldsymbol{^{\prime\prime} }}{\boldsymbol{=}}0)$$ B ′ 3 Σ u − ( ν ″ = 0 ) Auger final state via different intermediate states.

Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) has become the third-leading cause of hospital-acquired acute renal injury. Although alprostadil has been proposed as an effective preventative measure, this conclusion remains inconsistent. Thus, we performed a meta-analysis of the published studies on this topic to evaluate the preventative effect of alprostadil on CIN. Databases, including PubMed, the Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Wanfang, the China Biological Medicine Database (SinoMed) and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) were systematically searched. Nineteen clinical trials involving 2267 individuals were identified. We utilized a random or a fixed effect model to calculate the pooled odd ratios (ORs) and the standardized mean differences (SMD), respectively. Compared to the control group, the CIN risk decreased significantly in the alprostadil group (P

The imbalance of neurotransmitters and excessive oxidative stress responses contribute to the pathogenesis of hypertension. In this study, we determined whether blockade of p44/42 MAPK pathway in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) ameliorates the development of hypertension through modulating neurotransmitters and attenuating oxidative stress. Dahl salt-sensitive (S) rats received a high-salt diet (HS, 8% NaCl) or a normal-salt diet (NS, 0.3% NaCl) for 6 weeks and were treated with bilateral PVN infusion of PD-98059 (0.025 μg/h), a p44/42 MAPK inhibitor, or vehicle via osmotic minipump. HS resulted in higher mean arterial pressure (MAP) and Fra-like (Fra-LI) activity, and plasma and PVN levels of norepinephrine (NE), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), NOX2 and NOX4, lower PVN levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD) and the 67-kDa isoform of glutamate decarboxylase (GAD67), as compared with NS group. PD-98059 infusion reduced NE, TH, NOX2 and NOX4 in the PVN, and induced Cu/Zn-SOD and GAD67 in the PVN. It suggests that PVN blockade of p44/42 MAPK attenuates hypertension through modulating neurotransmitters and attenuating oxidative stress.

In non-resonant Auger electron spectroscopies, multi core-ionized states lead to numerous energetically close-lying electronic transitions in Auger spectra, this hampering the assignment and interpretation of the experimental results. Here we reveal a new method to overcome this intrinsic limitation of non-resonant inner-shell spectroscopies. In a proof-of-principle experiment performed for the O2 molecule, most of the Auger final states are dissociative, and we measure in coincidence the kinetic energy of the photoelectron and the kinetic energy release of the (O+, O+) ion pairs produced after the Auger decay of the O 1s−1 core-ionized states. The Auger final states are assigned using energy conservation. We fully separate the contributions from the 4Σ− and 2Σ− intermediate ionic states and conclusively demonstrate that the Auger decay probability can dramatically depend on the different O2 1s −1 intermediate multiplet states. In addition, a metastable Auger final state also exists, with lifetime longer than 3.8 μs, and clear changes are observed in both branching ratio and spectral profile of the O 1s photoelectron spectrum when they are recorded in coincidence with either \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$${{\bf{O}}}_{{\bf{2}}}^{{\boldsymbol{+}}{\boldsymbol{+}}}$$\end{document}O2++ or with other ionic species. These changes are attributed to the population of the metastable \documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$${{\boldsymbol{B}}}^{{\boldsymbol{^{\prime} }}3}{{\boldsymbol{\Sigma }}}_{{\boldsymbol{u}}}^{-}({\boldsymbol{\nu }}{\boldsymbol{^{\prime\prime} }}{\boldsymbol{=}}0)$$\end{document}B′3Σu−(ν″=0) Auger final state via different intermediate states.

Members of the Eph family of receptor tyrosine kinases have been implicated in a wide array of human cancers. The EphB4 receptor is ubiquitously expressed in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and has been shown to impart tumorigenic and invasive characteristics to these cancers. In this study, we investigated whether EphB4 receptor targeting can enhance the radiosensitization of HNSCC. Our data show that EphB4 is expressed at high to moderate levels in HNSCC cell lines and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) tumors. We observed decreased survival fractions in HNSCC cells following EphB4 knockdown in clonogenic assays. An enhanced G2 cell cycle arrest with activation of DNA damage response pathway and increased apoptosis was evident in HNSCC cells following combined EphB4 downregulation and radiation compared to EphB4 knockdown and radiation alone. Data using HNSCC PDX models showed significant reduction in tumor volume and enhanced delay in tumor regrowth following sEphB4-HSA administration with radiation compared to single agent treatment. sEphB4-HSA is a protein known to block the interaction between the EphB4 receptor and its ephrin-B2 ligand. Overall, our findings emphasize the therapeutic relevance of EphB4 targeting as a radiosensitizer that can be exploited for the treatment of human head and neck carcinomas.

Exercise training (ExT) has been reported to benefit hypertension; however, the exact mechanisms involved are unclear. We hypothesized that ExT attenuates hypertension, in part, through the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), reactive oxygen species (ROS), and glutamate in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN). Two-kidney, one-clip (2K1C) renovascular hypertensive rats were assigned to sedentary (Sed) or treadmill running groups for eight weeks. Dizocilpine (MK801), a glutamate receptor blocker, or losartan (Los), an angiotensin II type1 receptor (AT1-R) blocker, were microinjected into the PVN at the end of the experiment. We found that 2K1C rats had higher mean arterial pressure (MAP) and renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA). These rats also had excessive oxidative stress and overactivated RAS in PVN. Eight weeks of ExT significantly decreased MAP and RSNA in 2K1C hypertensive rats. ExT inhibited angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), AT1-R, and glutamate in the PVN, and angiotensin II (ANG II) in the plasma. Moreover, ExT attenuated ROS by augmenting copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD) and decreasing p47phox and gp91phox in the PVN. MK801or Los significantly decreased blood pressure in rats. Together, these findings suggest that the beneficial effects of ExT on renovascular hypertension may be, in part, through the RAS-ROS-glutamate pathway in the PVN.