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Summary: Unanticipated difficult laryngoscopy is associated with serious airway‐related complications. We aimed to develop and test a convolutional neural network‐based deep‐learning model that uses lateral cervical spine radiographs to predict Cormack–Lehane grade 3 or 4 direct laryngoscopy views of the glottis. We analysed the radiographs of 5939 thyroid surgery patients at our hospital, 253 (4%) of whom had grade 3 or 4 glottic views. We used 10 randomly sampled datasets to train a model. We compared the new model with six similar models (VGG, ResNet, Xception, ResNext, DenseNet and SENet). The Brier score (95%CI) of the new model, 0.023 (0.021–0.025), was lower ('better') than the other models: VGG, 0.034 (0.034–0.035); ResNet, 0.033 (0.033–0.035); Xception, 0.032 (0.031–0.033); ResNext, 0.033 (0.032–0.033); DenseNet, 0.030 (0.029–0.032); SENet, 0.031 (0.029–0.032), all p < 0.001. We calculated mean (95%CI) of the new model for: R2, 0.428 (0.388–0.468); mean squared error, 0.023 (0.021–0.025); mean absolute error, 0.048 (0.046–0.049); balanced accuracy, 0.713 (0.684–0.742); and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.965 (0.962–0.969). Radiographic features around the hyoid bone, pharynx and cervical spine were associated with grade 3 and 4 glottic views. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saccharum spontaneum L. is one of the most important germplasm resources for modern sugarcane breeding. Exploring the cold tolerance of S. spontaneum clones with different ploidy levels and screening for cold‐tolerant material can be helpful in parent selection for breeding cold‐tolerant sugarcane.Morphological indices, leaf ultrastructure and physiological indices were used to evaluate the cold tolerance of 36 S. spontaneum clones with different ploidy levels (2n = 40, 48, 54, 60, 64, 78, 80, 88, 92 and 96).The morphological indices of S. spontaneum clones with different ploidy levels were positively correlated with ploidy. Under low‐temperature stress, the chloroplast and mitochondrial structures of the clones with high ploidy were more severely damaged than were those of clones with low ploidy. A comprehensive evaluation of the physiological indices showed that the 36 S. spontaneum clones could be divided into four categories: strongly cold tolerant, cold tolerant, moderately cold tolerant and cold sensitive. Correlation analysis of the morphological indices and cold tolerance revealed a significant negative correlation between cold tolerance and ploidy. On the basis of the morphological and physiological indices, optimal stepwise regression equations that can be used for the selection of cold‐tolerant S. spontaneum resources were established.The S. spontaneum clones with low ploidy are more cold tolerant than those with high ploidy. Clones 12‐37, 13‐10 and 12‐23 are strongly cold‐tolerant germplasm resources, which suggests these germplasm sources have high potential for use in breeding cold‐tolerant sugarcane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the influence of testicular microlithiasis ( TM) on the outcomes of in vitro fertilisation ( IVF), we retrospectively reviewed the ultrasonography results of the TM patients who underwent IVF treatment in our hospital. They were classified as classic- TM ( CTM) or limited- TM ( LTM) comparing with patients without TM (Non- TM). Semen parameters, rates of fertilisation, normal fertilisation, good embryos and clinical pregnancy were analysed. The Non- TM group showed higher percentage of morphologically normal spermatozoa than the CTM or LTM group (4.08 ± 2.07 versus 3.40 ± 2.00 versus 3.04 ± 1.66, p = .003) while the other general semen parameters were comparable. The LTM group showed higher rate of fertilisation than the CTM group (85.10% versus 81.12%, p = .044). Moreover, the rates of normal fertilisation of Non- TM (62.47%) and LTM (66.32%) group were significantly higher than the CTM (58.02%) group ( p = .027 and p = .001 respectively). There were 333 embryo transfer cycles in total (including 222 fresh and 111 frozen). The overall clinical pregnancy rate was 54.95%, 58.33% and 64.12% in the group of CTM, LTM and Non- TM respectively. However, no statistically significant difference was obtained ( p = .326). Our results suggest that TM may have influence on the IVF outcomes. The extent of microlithiasis correlates inversely with the rates of fertilisation and normal fertilisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, several strategies are being used to decrease the serious effects of antibiotics abuse on broilers industry and public health, among which synbiotics are one of the most promising antibiotic alternative. This study was undertaken to assess the effects of synbiotics, which composed of probiotics ( Bacillus subtilis) and prebiotics (xylooligosaccharide and mannanoligosaccharide), on growth performance, intestinal morphology, sIgA content and antioxidant parameters of broilers. Four hundred and fifty one-day-old commercial Cobb48 broilers were assigned to five treatments consisting of six replicates of 15 birds each pen. Five dietary treatments include basal diets (control), basal diets plus antibiotics (4 mg/kg Xanthomycin), basal diets plus 1 g of probiotics B. subtilis product/kg of diets (4 × 108 cfu/kg), basal diets plus 150 mg/kg xylooligosaccharide (35%) and 1 g/kg mannanoligosaccharide (75%), and basal diets plus synbiotics (1 g of probiotics B. subtilis product/kg of diets (4 × 108 cfu/kg), 150 mg/kg xylooligosaccharide (35%) and 1 g/kg mannanoligosaccharide (75%). The results demonstrated that on 21 and 42 days, dietary supplementation of the synbiotics significantly increased daily weight gain (p < 0.05), feed efficiency (p < 0.05), the villus height and villus:crypt ratio in the duodenum, jejunum and ileum (p < 0.05), as well as intestinal mucosa sIgA content (p < 0.05), serum T- SOD activity (p < 0.05) and lysozyme content (p < 0.05), comparing with control group. In conclusion, synbiotics ( B. subtilis and xylooligosaccharide and mannanoligosaccharide) is one of the safe and ideal dietary supplementations to increase broilers' growth performance by improving small intestinal morphology, sIgA content and antioxidant capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the expression of circular RNA (circRNA) in blood corpuscles of pregnant women before 20 weeks of pregnancy and to create a new model to identify the performance of circRNA combined with protein factors for the early diagnosis of pre-eclampsia (PE). Design: Nested case-control study. Setting: University medical centre, Guangzhou, China. Population: A total of 1400 pregnant women recruited between 8 and 20 weeks of gestation. In all, 41 women with PE were included in the study, and were matched with 41 normally pregnant women based on maternal age and gestational age at same-size ratio. Methods: The samples were analysed using a human circRNA microarray in the discovery phase, then the circRNA and the plasma protein factor endoglin (ENG) were validated. Finally we combined ENG with circRNA to create a new early prediction model for PE. Main Outcome Measures: Early changes of circRNA and ENG in PE. Results: The circ_101222 levels in blood corpuscles of patients with PE were significantly higher than those in corresponding healthy women (P < 0.001). Using ENG in combination with circ_101222 resulted in a sensitivity of 0.7073, a specificity of 0.8049, and overall area under the curve of 0.876 (95% confidence interval 0.816-0.922) for the prediction of PE. Conclusion: CircRNA and plasma proteins may have some predictive value for PE (such as circ_101222 and ENG). The performance of each of these factors may be strengthened when plasma proteins are used in combination with circRNA. The results are preliminary and need to be validated in larger studies and other populations. Tweetable Abstract: Plasma protein endoglin in combination with circ_101222 strengthened the predictive power for pre-eclampsia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cobia, Rachycentron canadum L., is a very important aquatic fish that faces the risk of infection with the bacterial pathogen Photobacterium damselae ssp. piscicida, and there are few protective approaches available that use multiple antigens. In the present study, potent bivalent antigens from P. damselae ssp. piscicida showed more efficient protection than did single antigens used in isolation. In preparations of three antigens that included recombinant heat shock protein 60 ( rHSP60), recombinant α-enolase ( rENOLASE) and recombinant glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase ( rGAPDH), we analysed the doses that elicited the best immune responses and found that this occurred at a total of 30 μg of antigen per fish. Subsequently, vaccination of fish with rHSP60, rENOLASE and rGAPDH achieved 46.9, 52 and 25% relative per cent survival (RPS), respectively. In addition, bivalent subunit vaccines - combination I ( rHSP60 + rENOLASE), combination II ( rENOLASE + rGAPDH) and combination III ( rHSP60 + rGAPDH) - were administered and the RPS in these groups (65.6, 64.0 and 48.4%, respectively), was higher than that achieved with single-antigen administration. Finally, in combination IV, the trivalent vaccine rHSP60 + rENOLASE + rGAPDH, the RPS was 1.6%. Taken together, our results suggest that combinations of two antigens may achieve a better efficiency than monovalent or trivalent antigens, and this may provide new insights into pathogen prevention strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduction of a material able to promote osteogenesis and remodelling activity in a clinically relevant time frame in vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty procedures may have patient benefit. We report the in-vivo performance of a biphasic synthetic bone graft material (Genex Paste, Biocomposites, UK) [test material], composed of calcium sulfate and β-tricalcium phosphate, implanted into a sheep vertebral defect model. Cavities drilled into 4 adjacent vertebrae (L2 to L5) of 24 skeletally mature sheep were; (1) filled with the test material; (2) filled with commercially available polymethylmethacrylate [PMMA] cement; (3) remained empty [sham]. Analysis was performed immediately after implantation and at 8, 16, and 36 weeks post implantation. Sites were evaluated for bone growth with microCT analysis, histological examination, and mechanical testing under compression. The test material exhibited an improved tissue response over the PMMA, indicating a superior biological tolerance. MicroCT and histology indicated marked osteoregenerative capacity of the test material when compared with sham and the PMMA. The percentage of new bone formation was higher for the test material than sham at 16 and 36 weeks post implantation, with bone regeneration almost complete at 36 weeks in this group. Resorption of test material and the integration into new bone tissue were demonstrated. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2012. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wear particle-induced osteoclastogenesis is the most common cause of aseptic loosening in total joint arthroplasty. Although cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, an inducible regulator of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) synthesis, is known to be involved in osteoclast differentiation, its effect on osteoclastogenesis in response to wear particles remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of COX-2 in the regulation of osteoclast differentiation in the osteoclast precursor cell line RAW264.7 stimulated with titanium (Ti) particles. The results showed COX-2 expression in the early stages of RAW264.7 differentiation when stimulated with receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand (RANKL) and Ti particles. Blockade of COX-2 by celecoxib, a COX-2 selective inhibitor, effectively reduced the expression of PGE2 and inhibited differentiation of RAW264.7 cells into tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-positive (TRAP+) osteoclastic cells. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction revealed that celecoxib inhibited mRNA expression of RANK, cathepsin K ( CPK), TRAP, and the nuclear factor of activated T cells c1 ( NFATc1) in RAW264.7 cells stimulated by Ti particles and RANKL. Moreover, exogenous PGE2 reversed the inhibitory effects of celecoxib. These results provide direct evidence that COX-2 dependent PGE2 induced by RANKL and Ti particles is required for osteoclastogenesis and suggests that reduced production of PGE2 by inactivation of COX-2 would provide a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of osteoclastogenesis induced by wear particles. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 2011. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bis(tetrabutylammonium)bis(2-thioxo-1,3-dithiole-4,5-dithiolato)mercurate(II) was prepared and characterized by elemental analyses, electronic absorption, infrared and X-ray powder diffraction spectroscopy. The specific heat of the crystal was measured to be 1878.2 J.molK at 300 K. The thermal decomposition process was investigated by means of thermogravimetric analysis and differential thermal analysis measurements in air together with infrared and X-ray powder diffraction spectra. The third-order nonlinear optical properties at 800 nm were measured by femtosecond optical Kerr gate technique by using CS as reference. The third-order optical susceptibility of its acetone solution at the concentration of 9.27 × 10 M was obtained to be 2.53 × 10 esu. The second-order hyperpolarizability was estimated to be 1.7 × 10 esu and the response time was about 226 fs. The third order nonlinear optical properties at 532 nm were investigated by using the Z-scan technique with 20 ps. It exhibited self-focusing effect and saturable absorption. The second molecular hyperpolarizability was estimated to be 8.4 × 10 esu. (© 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nervous necrosis virus (NNV) infection induces host cell apoptosis by an ill-understood process. We utilized a fusion between enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) and the zfBcl-x L gene in GL-av cells to select for zfBcl-xL stable cell lines and to assess the effectiveness of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-xL in circumventing NNV-induced cell death. Stable EGFP and EGFP-Bcl-xL-expressing clones were obtained at high purity within 2.5–3 months. In the latter, the EGFP-Bcl-xL fusion protein (approximately 58.2 kDa, as ascertained by Western blot) was predominantly targeted to mitochondria. We assayed for apoptosis in red-spotted grouper NNV Tainan no. 1 (RGNNV TN1)-infected cells with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated end labelling (TUNEL) of DNA at different virus doses. NNV infection of NNV Bcl-xL GL-av cell line revealed a protective effect, with a decrease in TUNEL-positive cells of 7%, 8% and 31.8% at 24, 48 and 72 h, respectively. In addition, RGNNV infection of the Bcl-xL GL-av cell line revealed a protective effect, with an enhanced viability of 3%, 40% and 73% at 24, 48, and 72 h, respectively. We conclude that NNV-induced apoptotic cell death can be lessened in transgenic grouper fish cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The histological architecture of major immune organs in the Malabar grouperEpinephelus malabaricuswas investigated. The novel characteristics such as melanomacrophage centres(MMCs) appeared in the thymus and lymphopoietic tissue formed as foci in the head kidney. Leukocyte distribution in organs was identified by enzyme histochemistry.β-glucuronidase(BG) reactive cells in the cortex region of the thymus were botryoidally aggregated. Both acid phosphatase(AcP) and BG reactive cells concentrated within the specialized lymphopoietic foci in the head kidney, suggesting that the foci might be functional. Primitive histological characters of immunity were observed in the spleen. Although leukocyte aggregation was demonstrated in the spleen, additional enzyme histochemistry indicated that the aggregate might not be the equivalent of white pulp found in other vertebrates. The histological evidence did not support intestinal involvement in the immune system: there was no demonstrable gut associated lymphoid tissue. The limited distribution in the cortex and medulla boundary and the condensed format of the lymphocytes suggests a functional role for the MMC in the thymus ofE. malabaricus. The MMC appearance in the thymus of a teleost was unusual. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To characterize the 68 kDa allergen of Penicillium notatum (also known as P. chrysogenum), a molecular antibody (MoAb) (P40) was previously generated. For cDNA cloning, three more MoAbs (3F, 5A3, 5G2) were generated in the present study. A mixture of all the four MoAbs was used in cloning of the gene coding for the 68 kDa allergen from a λgt11 cDNA library of P. chrysogenum. A cDNA clone (A6) with DNA insert of about 0.5 kb which encodes for the 3′-terminal nucleotide sequence of the 68 kDa allergen was obtained. The cloned sequence contained two putative N-glycosylation sites. The reduction in molecular weight from 68 to 62 kDa in immunoblotting after treatment of the crude extract of P. notatum with N-glycosidase F indicates that the 68 kDa allergen is a glycoprotein. Nucleotide sequence determination showed that 188 (54%) of the 348 nucleotides of the cDNA sequence obtained were identical to the same region of the nucleotide sequence of the beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase gene of Candida albicans. Although the cDNA clone obtained did not encode the full-length gene of the 68 kDa allergen, polypeptide expressed from the A6 cDNA showed positive immunological reactivities to all four MoAbs used in the cloning experiment and to IgE antibodies in sera of asthmatic patients. There was a loss of immunoblotting activity to the 68 kDa component after absorption of MoAb P40-containing culture supernatant with filters blotted on plaque lawns of cDNA clone A6. Moreover, the immunoblotting activity remained when the MoAbs affinity-purified with filters containing polypeptides encoded by the cDNA insert of clone A6 were used. These two observations indicate that clone A6, which encodes 117 amino acid residues of a putative 560-residue polypeptide, is a cDNA clone of the 68 kDa component of P. notatum. In conclusion, results obtained from cloning and characterization of a partial cDNA clone described in this study suggest that the 68 kDa allergen of P. notatum is a beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A microstrip bandstop filter using four square air holes resonator at frequencies above 10 GHz has been investigated. The square air holes resonator generate a bandgap, and its operation mechanism is made clearly through the Finite Differential Time-Domain method. The measured frequency response of the filter is in good agreement with the simulation, and the center frequency of stopband of the microstrip filter shifted to higher frequency along with the dimension of the square air holes increased. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 49: 2020–2022, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.22641 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acne vulgaris affects up to 54% of Chinese adolescents. Combination therapy has become the recommended standard of care for acne., Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of clindamycin (1%) and benzoyl peroxide (5%) (CDP/BPO) gel once daily vs. clindamycin (1%) (CDP) monotherapy gel twice daily in Chinese patients with mild to moderate acne., Methods: 1020 patients (aged 12-45 years) with mild to moderate acne were randomized (1 : 1); 1016 patients were treated with CDP/BPO (n = 500) or CDP (n = 516) for a 12-week treatment period. Efficacy assessments were performed at baseline, and at weeks 1, 2, 4, 8 and 12; and primarily included change in total lesion count (inflammatory and non-inflammatory lesions), and proportion of patients with a minimum 2-grade improvement in Investigator's Static Global Assessment (ISGA) score. Patient safety and local tolerability were also evaluated., Results: Patients in CDP/BPO group showed a greater per cent reduction in total lesion count compared with patients in CDP group at week 12 (delta = -0.05; 95% CI = -0.09, -0.02; P = 0.003); statistically significant reduction in lesion count was noted as early as week 1 and continued through week 12. A greater proportion of patients in CDP/BPO group showed a ≥2-grade improvement in ISGA score at week 12 compared with CDP group (30.2% vs. 22.7%; P = 0.018). Overall, the incidence of adverse events (AEs) was higher in the CDP/BPO group (14.4%) than in the CDP group (7.9%); the most commonly reported events were generally related to application site reactions (erythema, pruritus and swelling). Incidence of drug-related AEs was 8.6% in CDP/BPO group and 1.2% in CDP group. Both groups showed trends towards reduction in investigator and subject rated local tolerability scores., Conclusion: CDP/BPO gel demonstrated superior efficacy over CDP gel along with acceptable safety and tolerability in Chinese patients with mild to moderate acne., Gov Number: NCT01915732., (© 2016 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.)

Humic acid in the drinking water of blackfoot disease endemic areas in Taiwan has been implicated as one of the aetiological factors of the disease. For this report we examined the effects of humic acid on the expression of thrombomodulin (TM) cofactor activity by cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). Incubation of HUVEC with humic acid (HA) isolated from the drinking water, as a synthetic humic acid polymer (SHA) or with commercial HA, resulted in a dose-dependent reduction of cell surface thrombomodulin activity. Characterization of the mechanism by which humic acid reduced the protein C activation indicated that inhibition was not caused by production or release of a protein C inhibitor. Kinetic analysis showed that binding affinities of TM to thrombin and of TM-thrombin complex to protein C was unchanged upon humic acid treatment. However, the cell surface TM activity was reduced by humic acid, which functions as an irreversible noncompetitive inhibitor of thrombin binding. Down-regulation of TM was inhibited by non-selective protein kinase C inhibitors and a selective inhibitor. These results suggest that protein kinase C is intricately involved in HA-induced TM down-regulation. Down-regulation of TM was also inhibited by free radical scavengers. All these changes occurred in the absence of significant cytotoxic effect. In conclusion, our results suggest that HA induces down-regulation of TM by directly increasing permeability of the cell membrane, thus causing elevation in [Ca2+]i. This species functions as a second messenger to activate protein kinase C, and/or Ca-dependent enzymes eventually inducing down-regulation of TM. Attenuation of vascular endothelial cell TM cofactor activity by humic acid may play a role in the humic acid-induced thrombotic vascular disorders of blackfoot disease.

We have previously shown that humic acid (well-water humic acid, HA, and synthetic humic acid, SHA) enhances cell surface expression of tissue factor (TF). Here we report that incubation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) for 2 hr with HA or SHA cause a rapid rise in TF mRNA levels, as shown by Northern blot analysis. To understand the cytotoxic and fibrinolytic effects of HA and SHA on cultured HUVEC, the cells treated with varying concentrations of HA and SHA for various periods of time. Both HA and SHA (10-200 micrograms/ml) inhibited the viability of subconfluent HUVEC, cultured in the presence or absence of 20% FBS (Fetal Bovine serum) in the culture medium, in a dose-dependent manner. Both HA and SHA induced surface changes in the HUVEC as revealed by scanning electron micrography (SEM). However, protocatechuic acid, the monomer of SHA, did not significantly inhibit cell growth, and showed a cytotoxic effect only at 200 micrograms/ml. Furthermore both HA and SHA stimulated HUVEC to produce plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) and tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) in a dose and time dependent fashion; the amount of PAI-1 produced was found to exceed that of t-PA. The monomer of SHA did not have this stimulatory effect. These results distinctly suggest that in addition to the inhibition of viability HA is involved in TF induction and PAI-1 synthesis in HUVEC and these may be some of the plausible mechanisms underlying the thrombotic disorders in Blackfoot disease.

Blackfoot disease is a peripheral vascular disease causally related to the fluorescent humic acid found in the drinking water of endemic areas in Taiwan. We compared the effects of humic acid (HA) purified from the well water of Blackfoot disease endemic areas with the effects of commercial humic acid (Aldrich) as well as trivalent arsenic (As2O3) on protein C activity, which plays an important role in regulation of blood coagulation and fibrinolysis. Humic acid, either purified from drinking water or obtained commercially, dose-dependently inhibited both activated protein C activity and the activation of protein C induced by Protac, a snake venom-derived protein C activator. In contrast to humic acid, arsenic oxide dose-dependently enhanced both activated protein C activity and the Protac-stimulated activation of protein C. In the presence of humic acid the enhancement effect of arsenic oxide was completely abolished, resulting in concentration-dependent inhibition of protein C activity. Therefore, the results of this study indicate that humic acid is a potent protein C inhibitor even in the presence of arsenic, which enhances the protein C activity. Since protein C is a potent anticoagulant and profibrinolytic agent, acquired defects of protein C induced by humic acid might cause a thrombophilic or hypercoagulable state. Whether this is one of the possible mechanisms of humic acid-induced thrombotic disorders in Blackfoot disease needs to be further characterized.