Rho Kinase (ROCK) Inhibitors for the Treatment of Glaucoma.

Glaucoma is the most common cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. It is characterized by progressive optic nerve degeneration and loss of visual field. Pathological increased intraocular pressure is its main modifiable risk factor. Rho kinase inhibitors are developed as a new class of glaucoma medication that increases outflow facility from the conventional aqueous humor outflow pathway. Additionally, they also have neuroprotective and anti-scarring effects that can might increase the success rate of glaucoma filtration surgery. This review aims to summarize the current concept of Rho kinase inhibitors in the treatment of glaucoma from beach to bedside.

Changes in condylar position and morphology after mandibular reconstruction by vascularized fibular free flap with condyle preservation.

OBJECTS: Changes in condylar position and morphology after mandibular reconstruction are important to aesthetic and functional rehabilitation. We evaluated changes in condylar position and morphology at different stages after mandibular reconstruction using vascularized fibular free flap with condyle preservation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 23 patients who underwent mandibular reconstruction with fibular flap were included in this retrospective study. CT data of all patients were recorded before surgery (T0), 7 to 14 days after surgery (T1), and at least 6 months after surgery (T2). Five parameters describing the condylar position and 4 parameters describing the morphology were measured in sagittal and coronal views of CT images. The association between clinical characteristics and changes in condylar position and morphology was analyzed. A finite element model was established to investigate the stress distribution and to predict the spatial movement tendency of the condyle after reconstruction surgery. RESULTS: The condylar position changed over time after mandibular reconstruction. The ipsilateral condyles moved inferiorly after surgery (T0 to T1) and continually move anteriorly, inferiorly, and laterally during long-term follow-up (T1 to T2). Contrary changes were noted in the contralateral condyles with no statistical significance. No morphological changes were detected. The relationship between clinical characteristics and changes in condylar position and morphology was not statistically significant. A consistent result was observed in the finite element analysis. CONCLUSION: Condylar positions showed obvious changes over time after mandibular reconstruction with condylar preservation. Nevertheless, further studies should be conducted to evaluate the clinical function outcomes and condylar position. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: These findings can form the basis for the evaluation of short-term and long-term changes in condylar position and morphology among patients who have previously undergone mandibular reconstruction by FFF with condyle preservation.

Separation Operation Followed by Stereotactic Radiotherapy in the Treatment of Spinal Metastasis From Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. OBJECTIVE: Spinal metastasis from hepatocellular carcinoma is rapidly progressive and predisposes to spinal disability, cord compression and further neural injury, leading to poor prognosis. Currently, it is still challenging to look for a treatment strategy that can improve the quality of life of patients and even directly prolong the survival time. This study attempts to evaluate the clinical efficacy of separation operation combined with postoperative stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT/SRS) in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma patients developing spinal metastasis and epidural spinal cord compression. METHODS: Patients with metastases spinal cord compression from hepatocellular carcinoma were studied retrospectively and divided into two groups, the SO group (who undergo separation operations combined with postoperative SRS, n = 32) and RT group (who received only SRS, n = 28). The visual Analogue Scale (VAS) pain score, Frankel grade, Karnofsky performance score, and Quality of Life (SF-36) score were comparatively analyzed between the two groups. RESULTS: Significantly higher VAS pain scores, Frankel grades, Karnofsky performance scores and Quality of Life (SF-36) scores were demonstrated in patients with combination treatment than in patients with SRS alone. CONCLUSIONS: Separation operations are effective surgical procedure for the treatment of spinal metastatic tumor from hepatocellular carcinoma with spinal cord compression. The combination with postoperative SRS can significantly improve the quality of life in this patient population via spinal canal decompression and spinal stability reconstruction.

Assessment of macular and peripapillary choroidal thickness in non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) is the most common optic neuropathy in adults aged ≥ 50 years. Transient non-perfusion or hypoperfusion of the optic nerve head circulation is believed to be the underlying cause of NAION. It has been suggested that peripapillary choroidal thickness (PCT) is altered after ischemic disorders of the optic nerve head, but the results have not always been consistent. To address this issue and provide evidence for the pathogenesis of NAION, we performed a meta-analysis to systematically evaluate macular choroidal thickness (MCT) and PCT in patients with NAION. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases was performed until August 31, 2022. The main inclusion criterion was a case-control study in which MCT and PCT were measured using optical coherence tomography in patients with NAION. Mean difference (MD) and 95% confidence interval were calculated for continuous estimates. The Review Manager (V5.40) was used for the analysis. RESULTS: Nine studies comprising 663 eyes (283 NAION eyes and 380 healthy control eyes) were included (Newcastle-Ottawa Scale score ≥ 5). MCT and PCT were higher in eyes with chronic NAION (MD = 19.16, P = .04; MD = 35.36, P < .00001) and NAION fellow eyes (MD = 30.35, P = .0006; MD = 29.86, P = .04) than in healthy controls. No difference was noted in the MCT between eyes with acute NAION and healthy controls (MD = 2.99, P = .87). CONCLUSION: Increased MCT and PCT may be important anatomical and physiological features of the eyes in patients with NAION.

Defect-Induced Dense Amorphous/Crystalline Heterophase Enables High-Rate and Ultrastable Sodium Storage.

Currently, the construction of amorphous/crystalline (A/C) heterophase has become an advanced strategy to modulate electronic and/or ionic behaviors and promote structural stability due to their concerted advantages. However, their different kinetics limit the synergistic effect. Further, their interaction functions and underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, a unique engineered defect-rich V2 O3 heterophase structure (donated as A/C-V2 O3- x @C-HMCS) composed of mesoporous oxygen-deficient amorphous - hollow core (A-V2 O3- x /HMC) and lattice-distorted crystalline shell (C-V2 O3 /S) encapsulated by carbon is rationally designed via a facile approach. Comprehensive density functional theory (DFT) calculations disclose that the lattice distortion enlarges the porous channels for Na+ diffusion in the crystalline phase, thereby optimizing its kinetics to be compatible with the oxygen-vacancy-rich amorphous phase. This significantly reduces the high contrast of the kinetic properties between the crystalline and amorphous phases in A/C-V2 O3- x @C-HMCS and induces the formation of highly dense A/C interfaces with a strong synergistic effect. As a result, the dense heterointerface effectively optimizes the Na+ adsorption energy and lowers the diffusion barrier, thus accelerating the overall kinetics of A/C-V2 O3- x @C-HMCS. In contrast, the perfect heterophase (defects-free) A/C-V2 O3 @C-HCS demonstrates sparse A/C interfacial sites with limited synergistic effect and sluggish kinetics. As expected, the A/C-V2 O3- x @C-HMCS achieves a high rate and ultrastable performance (192 mAh g-1 over 6000 cycles at 10 A g-1 ) when employed for the first time as a cathode for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). This work provides general guidance for realizing dense heterophase cathode design for high-performance SIBs and beyond.

PBP1 plays key roles in sex pheromone reception of the fall armyworm.

Spodoptera frugiperda among the China population employs a four-component sex pheromone blend to accelerate male-female allocation and mating behavior. The underlying molecular mechanism has been incompletely elucidated. In the current study, we showed that differences existed between genders toward the four sex pheromone components, including Z9-14:AC, Z7-12:AC, Z9-12:AC, and Z11-16:AC, in terms of electrophysiological responses and behavioral valences. Male adults were significantly more sensitive to all tested compounds than female adults. Furthermore, ecological outputs may be related to four pheromone-binding proteins, namely, SfruPBP1, SfruPBP2, SfruPBP3, and SfruPBP4. They formed four distinct clades within the lepidopteran phylogeny, and male adults expressed significantly higher levels of SfruPBP1 and SfruPBP2 than female adults. We observed the highest binding affinities of SfruPBP1 toward all four sex pheromone components. SfruPBP4 had moderate binding affinities for Z7-12:AC, Z11-16:AC, and Z9-12:AC, while SfruPBP2 showed binding toward Z9-14:AC. This observation suggests that SfruPBP1 plays a key role in sex pheromone discrimination and drives sexually biased behavioral decisions toward certain pheromone components. These findings will help to develop behavioral-mediating tools as part of integrated pest management approaches for this cross-border pest.

Characterizations of botanical attractant of Halyomorpha halys and selection of relevant deorphanization candidates via computational approach.

Halyomorpha halys has been recognized as a global cross-border pest species. Along with well-established pheromone trapping approaches, there have been many attempts to utilize botanical odorant baits for field monitoring. Due to sensitivity, ecological friendliness, and cost-effectiveness for large-scale implementation, the selection of botanical volatiles as luring ingredients and/or synergists for H. halys is needed. In the current work, botanical volatiles were tested by olfactometer and electrophysiological tests. Results showed that linalool oxide was a potential candidate for application as a behavioral modifying chemical. It drove remarkable attractiveness toward H. halys adults in Y-tube assays, as well as eliciting robust electroantennographic responsiveness towards antennae. A computational pipeline was carried out to screen olfactory proteins related to the reception of linalool oxide. Simulated docking activities of four H. halys odorant receptors and two odorant binding proteins to linalool oxide and nerolidol were performed. Results showed that all tested olfactory genes were likely to be involved in plant volatile-sensing pathways, and they tuned broadly to tested components. The current work provides insights into the later development of field demonstration strategies using linalool oxide and its molecular targets.

Transcriptome Analysis of Detoxification-Related Genes in Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is an important pest on maize, and it can cause large yield losses. As S. frugiperda has invaded many developing countries in Africa and Asia in recent years, it could impact food security. Pesticides remain the main method to control S. frugiperda in the field, and this pest has developed resistance to some pesticides. In this study, we used second-generation sequencing technology to detect the gene expression change of S. frugiperda after treatment by LC20 of three pesticides, lufenuron, spinetoram, and tetrachloroamide, which have different modes of actions. The sequence data were first assembled into a 60,236 unigenes database, and then the differential expression unigenes (DEUs) after pesticide treatment were identified. The DEU numbers, Gene Ontology catalog, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway catalog were analyzed. Finally, 11 types of unigenes related to detoxification and DEUs after pesticide treatment were listed, and Cytochrome P450, Glutathione S-transferase, and ATP-binding cassette transporter were analyzed. This study provides a foundation for molecular research on S. frugiperda pesticide detoxification.

Transcriptome analysis of Holotrichia oblita reveals differentially expressed unigenes related to reproduction and development under different photoperiods.

Holotrichia oblita (Faldermann) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) is an insect whose feeding and mating behaviors occur at night. A scotophase is necessary for H. oblita reproduction. We used RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to compare the expression patterns of H. oblita at five photoperiods (0:24, 8:16, 12:12, 16:8, and 24:0 h) (L:D). Compared to the control (24:0) (L:D), 161-684 differentially expressed unigenes (DEUs) were found in female samples, while 698-2322 DEUs were found in male samples. For all DEUs, a total of 92-1143 DEUs were allocated to 116-662 categories of gene ontology (GO), and 81-1116 DEUs were assigned into 77-286 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways. The iPath diagram showed that the DEUs generated by comparing female and male samples with photoperiods of 0:24 and 24:0, respectively, involved multiple metabolic pathways, such as carbohydrate metabolism, lipid metabolism, nucleotide metabolism, purine metabolism and glutathione metabolism. Most of these DEUs were upregulated. Finally, 13 DEUs related to reproduction and development were selected to confirm the consistency of relative expression between RNA-Seq and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Most of these comparison results agreed well, except for some qRT-PCR results that were not detected in male samples due to their low expression. These results provide useful information for understanding the dark-induced reproduction of H. oblita.

Effect of Photoperiod on Longevity, Food Consumption, and Reproduction of Holotrichia oblita (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae).

Holotrichia oblita (Faldermann) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) is a major soil insect pest that damages forest trees, crops, and lawns. Adults of H. oblita fly, forage, and mate at night but remain underground during the day. We studied the effect of photoperiod on H. oblita reproduction. H. oblita females laid more eggs at 8:16 (L:D) h and 0:24 (L:D) h than other photoperiods. As the scotophase increased, the preoviposition period decreased and the oviposition period increased. Female longevity exceeded that of males at all photoperiods, and both males and females at 0:24 (L:D) h had the shortest longevity. The number of eggs laid per female increased with increasing food consumption. Females at 8:16 (L:D) h had the greatest food consumption and laid the most eggs, while females at 24:0 (L:D) h had the lowest food consumption and laid few eggs. The food intake of adults increased gradually and decreased slowly after reaching a peak. Females began to lay eggs when their food consumption reached a maximum. These results indicate that a scotophase is necessary for the reproduction of H. oblita. A long scotophase promotes greater oviposition. The effect of photoperiod on reproduction is affected by food intake.

Risk Factors for Failure in First-Time Hearing Screening Tests among High-Risk Neonates in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to investigate into the risk factors for failure in the first-time screening test among high-risk neonates in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in order to further clarify the etiology of neonatal hearing impairment, thus providing insights into early prevention and intervention. METHODS: We performed automated auditory brainstem response (AABR), distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE), and acoustic immittance (AI) on 2,194 high-risk neonates admitted into the NICU of Shanghai Children's Medical Center from January 2015 to December 2019, and the risk factors, including premature birth, hyperbilirubinemia, and infant respiratory distress syndrome, were analyzed retrospectively by the univariate χ2 test and multivariate stepwise logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The pass rates of AABR, DPOAE, and AI were 70.21, 78.44, and 93.12%, respectively, in 2,194 cases of high-risk neonates screened, which are significantly lower than those of healthy controls. The most common diagnoses included artificial feeding, preterm birth, C-section, low birth weight (LBW), neonatal hyperbilirubinemia (NHB), neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS), congenital heart disease (CHD), gestational diabetes mellitus, pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome, advanced maternal age (AMA), twins, and in vitro fertilization. Stepwise logistic regression analysis indicated that the AABR pass rate was negatively correlated with LBW (p = 0.002), NHB (p < 0.001), NRDS (p = 0.007), artificial or mixed feeding (p = 0.018), and CHD (p = 0.005). The pass rate of DPOAE was negatively correlated with artificial or mixed feeding (p = 0.041), NHB (p < 0.001), LBW (p = 0.007), very LBW (VLBW) (p = 0.008), and C-section (p < 0.001). The pass rate of AI was negatively correlated with revised AMA (≥40 year) (p < 0.001), NHB (p = 0.043), C-section (p = 0.005), and artificial/mixed feeding (p = 0.036). CONCLUSION: The hearing screening pass rates of high-risk neonates in the NICU were lower than those of normal neonates, among which the rate of AABR was significantly lower than that of DPOAE. NRDS, NHB, LBW, revised AMA, CHD, C-section, and artificial feeding are potential risk factors of hearing impairment. The combination of different hearing screening tests is necessary for accurate diagnosis of congenital hearing disorders.

Evaluation of reference genes for quantitative real-time PCR normalization in the scarab beetle Holotrichia oblita.

Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPT-PCR) is commonly used to analyze gene expression, however, the accuracy of the normalized results is affected by the expression stability of reference genes. Holotrichia oblita (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) causes serious damage to crops. Reliable reference genes in H. oblita are needed for qRT-PCR analysis. Therefore, we evaluated 13 reference genes under biotic and abiotic conditions. RefFinder provided a comprehensive stability ranking, and geNorm suggested the optimal number of reference genes for normalization. RPL13a and RPL18 were the most suitable reference genes for developmental stages, tissues, and temperature treatments; RPL13a and RPS3 were the most suitable for pesticide and photoperiod treatments; RPS18 and RPL18 were the most suitable for the two sexes. We validated the normalized results using odorant-binding protein genes as target genes in different tissues. Compared with the selected suitable reference genes, the expression of OBP1 in antennae, abdomen, and wings, and OBP2 in antennae and wings were overestimated due to the instability of ACTb. These results identified several reliable reference genes in H. oblita for normalization, and are valuable for future molecular studies.

Preoperative and intraoperative predictors of deep venous thrombosis in adult patients undergoing craniotomy for brain tumors: A Chinese single-center, retrospective study.

PURPOSE: Brain tumor resection by craniotomy is associated with a high risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). This study evaluated the incidence and preoperative and intraoperative risk factors for DVT within 30 days of surgery. METHODS: The analysis included: 1) basic clinical variables (patient age, sex, body mass index [BMI], tumor location, and tumor histology); 2) blood test results before operation, such as leukocytes, platelets, and coagulation parameters; and 3) surgical factors (total amount of blood lost, anesthesia mode, and surgery duration). RESULTS: Of the 1670 patients, 206 (12.34%) had DVT and nine (0.54%) had both DVT and pulmonary embolism (PE) after surgery. Preoperative and intraoperative factors independently associated with DVT/PE were: older age 46-55 years (odds ratio [OR]: 2.87; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.83-4.50; P < 0.001), age 56-65 years (OR: 5.24; 95% CI: 3.27-8.40; P < 0.001), age > 65 years (OR: 6.00; 95% CI: 3.45-10.45; P < 0.001), BMI (OR: 1.03; 95% CI: 1.00-1.05; P = 0.029), activated partial thromboplastin time [APTT] (OR: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.86-0.95; P = 0.000), D-dimer (OR: 1.69; 95% CI: 1.23-2.34; P = 0.001), high-grade glioma (OR: 2.09; 95% CI: 1.28-3.40; P = 0.003), glio-neuronal (OR: 3.30; 95% CI: 1.28-8.47; P = 0.013), craniopharyngioma (OR: 2.16; 95% CI: 1.13-4.10; P = 0.019), and surgery duration (OR: 1.82; 95% CI: 1.27-2.60; P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Older age, BMI, preoperative APTT, D-dimer, tumor histology, and surgery duration independently increased the risk of developing postoperative DVT/PE. These findings provide prognostic information that will guide therapies aimed at minimizing the development of DVT/PE during hospitalization.

Halogen Effects-Induced Bright D-π-A Fluorophore as Scaffold for NIR Fluorogenic Probes with High Contrast.

Endowing fluorogenic probes with ultrahigh contrast is essential to increasing the accuracy of fluorescence sensing and imaging. Phenolate-based D-π-A fluorophores (A-DOH) belong to a big family of fluorophores and have attracted increasing attention in fluorogenic probe design. However, the intrinsic dilemma of weak intracellular emission of traditional A-DOH fluorophores resulted in low contrast during live cell imaging. Herein, we present a general and robust approach to preparing novel A-DOH fluorophores with bright NIR fluorescence in living cells based on the unique halogen effects. The reported chlorinated A-DOH fluorophore (A1-2ClOH) has an extremely strong fluorescence in an aqueous solution of pH 7.4 and living cells, which is 194 and 30 times higher than that of the traditional halogen-free analogue (A1-OH), respectively. We systematically investigated and demonstrated that the distinct -I and +M halogen effects, which led to a drastic decrease in the pKa value and a significant enhancement in the fluorescence quantum yield, respectively, should be responsible for the tremendous fluorescence enhancement. The flexible phenol caging chemistry allows one to prepare multiple NIR fluorogenic probes based on the A1-2ClOH scaffold with high contrast for live cell imaging of a variety of analytes by introducing a corresponding triggering moiety. Moreover, the conjugated azide group of A1-2ClOH enables the integration of more functions as desired through a facile click reaction. A fluorogenic probe (mitoProbe-PN) was synthesized as a paradigm by equipping the A1-2ClOH scaffold with a mitochondria-targeting moiety and a peroxynitrite-responsive triggering group and demonstrated specific high-contrast fluorescence imaging of endogenous OONO- in mitochondria of living macrophages.

A Long-Cycling Aqueous Zinc-Ion Pouch Cell: NASICON-Type Material and Surface Modification.

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) have become the highest potential energy storage system for large-scale applications owing to the high specific capacity, good safety and low cost. In this work, a NASICON-type Na3 V2 (PO4 )3 cathode modified by a uniform carbon layer (NVP/C) has been synthesized via a facile solid-state method and exhibited significantly improved electrochemical performance when working in an aqueous ZIB. Specifically, the NVP/C cathode shows an excellent rate capacity (e. g., 48 mAh g-1 at 1.0 A g-1 ). Good cycle stability is also achieved (e. g., showing a capacity retention of 88% after 2000 cycles at 1.0 A g-1 ). Furthermore, the Zn2+ (de)intercalation mechanism in the NVP cathode has been determined by various ex-situ techniques. In addition, a Zn||NVP/C pouch cell has been assembled, delivering a high capacity of 89 mAhg-1 at 0.2 A g-1 and exhibiting a superior long cycling stability.

Transcriptome Analysis and Identification of Insecticide Tolerance-Related Genes after Exposure to Insecticide in Sitobion avenae.

Aphids cause serious losses to the production of wheat. The grain aphid, Sitobion avenae, which is the dominant species of aphid in all wheat regions of China, is resistant to a variety of insecticides, including imidacloprid and chlorpyrifos. However, the resistance and mechanism of insecticide tolerance of S. avenae are still unclear. Therefore, this study employed transcriptome analysis to compare the expression patterns of stress response genes under imidacloprid and chlorpyrifos treatment for 15 min, 3 h, and 36 h of exposure. S. avenae adult transcriptome was assembled and characterized first, after which samples treated with insecticides for different lengths of time were compared with control samples, which revealed 602267 differentially expressed unigenes (DEUs). Among these DEUs, 31-790 unigenes were classified into 66-786 categories of gene ontology (GO) functional groups, and 24-760 DEUs could be mapped into 54-268 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways. Finally, 11 insecticide-tolerance-related unigenes were chosen to confirm the relative expression by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in each treatment. Most of the results between qRT-PCR and RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) are well-established. The results presented herein will facilitate molecular research investigating insecticide resistance in S. avenae, as well as in other wheat aphids.

Survey of the Bradysia odoriphaga Transcriptome Using PacBio Single-Molecule Long-Read Sequencing.

The damage caused by Bradysia odoriphaga is the main factor threatening the production of vegetables in the Liliaceae family. However, few genetic studies of B. odoriphaga have been conducted because of a lack of genomic resources. Many long-read sequencing technologies have been developed in the last decade; therefore, in this study, the transcriptome including all development stages of B. odoriphaga was sequenced for the first time by Pacific single-molecule long-read sequencing. Here, 39,129 isoforms were generated, and 35,645 were found to have annotation results when checked against sequences available in different databases. Overall, 18,473 isoforms were distributed in 25 various Clusters of Orthologous Groups, and 11,880 isoforms were categorized into 60 functional groups that belonged to the three main Gene Ontology classifications. Moreover, 30,610 isoforms were assigned into 44 functional categories belonging to six main Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes functional categories. Coding DNA sequence (CDS) prediction showed that 36,419 out of 39,129 isoforms were predicted to have CDS, and 4319 simple sequence repeats were detected in total. Finally, 266 insecticide resistance and metabolism-related isoforms were identified as candidate genes for further investigation of insecticide resistance and metabolism in B. odoriphaga.

Surgical Treatment of Primary Parapharyngeal Space Tumors: A Single-Institution Review of 28 Cases.

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the surgical treatment of tumors arising from the parapharyngeal space (PPS) in a single-center setting. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted with 28 patients who underwent surgery for primary PPS tumors from 2011 to 2018. Patient clinical features, histologic tumor type, surgical approach, complications, and follow-up data were evaluated. RESULTS: All patients underwent surgery in this series. The transmandibular approach was most frequently performed (35.7%), followed by the transcervical (28.6%), transparotid (17.9%), and transoral (17.9%) approaches. A surgical navigation system was applied to the surgery of 4 cases with superior PPS tumors. The mean surgical duration of these cases (205.0 minutes) was shorter than that of cases without surgical navigation, and the mean maximum size (MMS) of tumors (5.8 cm) was larger (P < .01). Eleven different tumor types were diagnosed after surgery (78.6% benign and 21.4% malignant). For postoperative complications, there were 10 cases of lower lip numbness, 4 of facial nerve dysfunction, 2 of trismus, and 1 each for the remaining types. During 4- to 81-month follow-up, 27 patients had no recurrence, metastasis, or death and 1 patient was lost to follow-up. CONCLUSION: The histopathologic diagnoses were consistent with those of previous reports. Surgical resection is the main treatment for PPS tumors, with relatively low rates of recurrence and death. For superior PPS tumors, the surgical navigation system can substantially shorten the operative duration and is more suitable for larger tumors.

Genome-wide analysis of developmental stage-specific transcriptome in Bradysia odoriphaga.

Bradysia odoriphaga is a serious pest of the Chinese chive; however, detailed information regarding the developmental stage-specific gene expression patterns of B. odoriphaga is not yet available. In this study, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed to determine the gene expression patterns of developmental stages including the eggs, second instar larvae, fourth instar larvae, pupae, and adults of B. odoriphaga. Analysis of 15 samples revealed an average of 89.56% of the clean reads could be mapped onto the assembled UniGene database. Cluster tree analysis showed that the expression patterns were stage-specific and that samples of the second and fourth instar larvae clustered in one group, while those of eggs, pupae, and adults clustered in another group. Differential expression unigenes (DEUs) for sequential developmental stages were between 3314 and 10,632. A total of 1910-7756 DEUs of sequential developmental stages were assigned into 45-56 gene ontology categories and 1165-3845 DEUs were mapped into Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways. The expression of DEUs related to growth and development showed that hormone receptors highly expressed in the pupal stage, while chitinases were highly expressed in the larval stage. The results of quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and RNA-seq expression agreed well for 12 growth- and development-related unigenes. This study identified DEUs for sequential developmental stages of B. odoriphaga. Gene Ontology classifications and KEGG pathway identification of DEUs not only provide information useful for understanding insect growth and development but also for exploring novel approaches to control B. odoriphaga.

Nano-Assemblies from J-Aggregated Dyes: A Stimuli-Responsive Tool Applicable To Living Systems.

Controlling the packing arrangements of dyes is a facile way of tuning their photophysical and/or photochemical properties, thus enabling new sensing mechanisms for photofunctional tools. Here, we present a general and robust strategy toward water-stable J-aggregated dye-templated nanoassemblies by incorporating an amphiphilic diblock copolymer and a stimuli-responsive dye as the only two building components. An iodo-substituted boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) was adopted as a template to direct the self-assembly of poly(ethylene glycol)- block-polycaprolactone (PEG-PCL), forming a core-shell nanoplate with slip-stacked BODIPYs as core surrounded by hydrophilic PEG shell. The self-assembled nanoplate is stable in cell culture medium and possesses a built-in stimuli-responsiveness that arises from BODIPY bearing meso-carboxylate protecting group, which is efficiently removed upon treatment with peroxynitrite. The resulting negative charges lead to rearrangement of dyes from J-stacking to nonstacking, which activates photoinduced singlet oxygen production from the nanoassemblies. The stimuli-activatable photosensitivity has been exploited for specific photodynamic ablation of activated RAW 264.7 cells with excessive endogenous peroxynitrite. In light of the generality of the sensing mechanism, the concept described herein will significantly expand the palette of design principles to develop diverse photofunctional tools for biological research and clinical needs.