Active ballistic orbital transport in Ni/Pt heterostructure.

Orbital current, defined as the orbital character of Bloch states in solids, can travel with larger coherence length through a broader range of materials than its spin counterpart, facilitating a robust, higher density and energy efficient information transmission. Hence, active control of orbital transport plays a pivotal role in the progress of the evolving field of quantum information technology. Unlike spin angular momentum, orbital angular momentum couples to phonon angular momentum efficiently via orbital-crystal momentum (L-k) coupling, allowing us to control orbital transport through crystal field potential mediated angular momentum transfer. Here, leveraging the orbital dependant efficient L-k coupling, we have experimentally demonstrated the active control of orbital current velocity in Ni/Pt heterostructure. We observe terahertz emission from Ni/Pt heterostructure via long-range ballistic orbital transport, as evidenced by the delay, and chirping in the emitted THz pulse correlating with increased Pt thickness. Additionally, we also have identified a critical energy density required to overcome collisions in orbital transport, enabling a swifter flow of orbital current. Femtosecond light driven active control of the ballistic orbital transport lays the foundation for the development of dynamic optorbitronics for transmitting information over extended distance.

Extended Conjugation Strategy Enabling Red-Shifted and Efficient Emission of Orange-Red Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence Materials.

In account of the energy gap law, the development of efficient narrow-band gap thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) materials remains a major challenge for the application of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). The orange-red TADF materials are commonly designed with either large π-conjugated systems or strong intramolecular donor-acceptor (D-A) interactions for red-shift emission and small singlet-triplet energy gap (ΔEST). There are rare reports on the simultaneous incorporation of these two strategies on the same material systems. Herein, two orange-red emitters named 1P2D-BP and 2P2D-DQ have been designed by extending the conjugation degree of the center acceptor DQ and increasing the number distribution of the peripheral donor PXZ units, respectively. The emission peak of 1P2D-BP is red-shifted to 615 nm compared to 580 nm for 2P2D-DQ, revealing the pronounced effect of the conjugation extension on the emission band gap. In addition, the distorted molecular structure yields a small ΔEST of 0.02 eV, favoring the acquisition of a high exciton utilization through an efficient reverse intersystem crossing process. As a result, orange-red OLEDs with both 1P2D-BP and 2P2D-DQ have achieved an external quantum efficiency (EQE) of more than 17%. In addition, the efficient white OLED based on 1P2D-BP is realized through precise exciton assignment and energy transport modulation, showing an EQE of 23.6% and a color rendering index of 82. The present work provides an important reference for the design of high-efficiency narrow-band gap materials in the field of solid-state lighting.

Dynamics of rhizosphere microbial structure and function associated with the biennial bearing of moso bamboo.

Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) is a valuable nontimber forestry product with a biennial cycle, producing abundant bamboo shoots within one year (on-year) and few shoots within the following year (off-year). Moso bamboo plants undergo clonal reproduction, resulting in similar genetic backgrounds. However, the number of moso bamboo shoots produced each year varies. Despite this variation, the impact of soil nutrients and the root microbiome on the biennial bearing of moso bamboo is poorly understood. We collected 139 soil samples and determined 14 major physicochemical properties of the rhizosphere, rhizoplane, and bulk soil in different seasons (i.e., the growing and deciduous seasons) and different years (i.e., on- and off-years). Based on 16S rRNA and metagenomic sequencing, major variations were found in the rhizospheric microbial composition during different seasons and years in the moso bamboo forest. Environmental driver analysis revealed that essential nutrients (i.e., SOC, TOC, TN, P, and NH4+) were the main drivers of the soil microbial community composition and were correlated with the on- and off-year cycles. Moreover, 19 MAGs were identified as important biomarkers that could distinguish on- and off-years. We found that both season and year influenced both the microbial community structure and functional pathways through the biosynthesis of nutrients that potentially interact with the moso bamboo growth rhythm, especially the on-year root-associated microbiome, which had a greater abundance of specific nutrients such as gibberellins and vitamin B6. This work provides a dynamic perspective of the differential responses of various on- and off-year microbial communities and enhances our understanding of bamboo soil microbiome biodiversity and stability.

Chiral Interlayer Exchange Coupling for Asymmetric Domain Wall Propagation in Field-Free Magnetization Switching.

The discovery of chiral spin texture has unveiled many unusual yet extraordinary physical phenomena, such as the Néel type domain walls and magnetic skyrmions. A recent theoretical study suggests that a chiral exchange interaction is not limited to a single ferromagnetic layer; instead, three-dimensional spin textures can arise from an interlayer Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction. However, the influence of chiral interlayer exchange coupling on the electrical manipulation of magnetization has rarely been addressed. Here, the coexistence of both symmetric and chiral interlayer exchange coupling between two orthogonally magnetized CoFeB layers in PtMn/CoFeB/W/CoFeB/MgO is demonstrated. Images from polar magneto-optical Kerr effect microscopy indicate that the two types of coupling act concurrently to induce asymmetric domain wall propagation, where the velocities of domain walls with opposite chiralities are substantially different. Based on this microscopic mechanism, field-free switching of the perpendicularly magnetized CoFeB is achieved with a wide range of W thicknesses of 0.6-4.5 nm. This work enriches the understanding of interlayer exchange coupling for spintronic applications.

Three-Dimensional Printing to Guide Fenestrated/Branched TEVAR in Triple Aortic Arch Branch Reconstruction With a Curative Effect Analysis.

PURPOSE: To summarize experience with and the efficacy of fenestrated/branched thoracic endovascular repair (F/B-TEVAR) using physician-modified stent-grafts (PMSGs) under 3D printing guidance in triple aortic arch branch reconstruction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From February 2018 to April 2022, 14 cases of aortic arch aneurysms and 30 cases of aortic arch dissection (22 acute aortic arch dissection and 8 long-term aortic arch dissection)were treated by F/B-TEVAR in our department, including 34 males and 10 females, with an average age of 59.84 ± 11.72 years. Three aortic arch branches were affected in all patients. A 3D-printed model was made according to computed tomography angiography images and used to guide the fabrication of PMSGs. All patients were followed up. RESULTS: A total of 132 branches were successfully reconstructed with no case of conversion to open surgery. The average operation time was 4.97 ± 1.40 hours, including a mean 44.05 ± 7.72 minutes for stent-graft customization, the mean postoperative hospitalization duration was 9.91 ± 4.47 days, the average intraoperative blood loss was 480.91 mL (100-2810 mL), and the mean postoperative intensive care unit monitoring duration was 1.02 days (0-5 days). No deaths occurred within 30 days of surgery. Postoperative neurological complications occurred in 1 case (2.3%), and retrograde type A dissection occurred in 1 case (2.3%). CONCLUSION: Compared with conventional surgery, triple aortic arch branch reconstruction under the guidance of 3D printing is a minimally invasive treatment method with the advantages of accurate positioning, rapid postoperative recovery, few complications, and reliable short- to mid-term effects. CLINICAL IMPACT: At present the PMSG usually depend on imaging data and software calculation. With the guidance of 3D printing technology, image data could be transformed into 3D model, which has improved the accuracy of the positioning of the fenestrations. The diameter reduction technique and the internal mini cuff technique have made a complement to the slimed-down fenestration selection process and the low rate of endoleak. As reproducible study, our results may provide reference for TEVAR in different cases.

Analysis and prediction of thyroid cancer morbidity and mortality trends in China / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective: To analyze the morbidity and mortality trends of thyroid cancer in China from 1990 to 2019, explore the causes of the trends, and predict morbidity and mortality in the future. Methods: The morbidity and mortality data of thyroid cancer in China from 1990 to 2019 were collected from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease database. The Joinpoint regression model was used to describe the change trends. Based on the morbidity and mortality data from 2012 to 2019, a grey model GM (1,1) was constructed to predict the trends in the next ten years. The model was tested by the posterior error method and residual test method. Results: In all populations, men and women, the AAPC values of the crude morbidity rates were 4.15% (95%CI: 3.86%-4.44%, P<0.001), 5.98% (95%CI: 5.65%-6.31%, P<0.001) and 3.23% (95%CI: 2.94%-3.53%, P<0.001) respectively, the AAPC values of age-standardized morbidity rates were 2.47% (95%CI: 2.12%-2.83%, P<0.001), 3.98% (95%CI: 3.68%-4.29%, P<0.001), 1.65% (95%CI: 1.38%-1.93%, P<0.001), the AAPC values of crude mortality rates were 2.09% (95%CI: 1.92%-2.25%, P<0.001), 3.68% (95%CI: 3.45%-3.90%, P<0.001), 0.60% (95%CI: 0.50%-0.71%, P<0.001). The age-standardized mortality rates in men showed a fluctuating trend of first decrease (1990-1994), then increase (1994-2012), and then decrease (2012-2019) (AAPC=1.35%, 95%CI: 1.16%-1.53%, P<0.001). The age-standardized mortality rate in women continuously decreased (AAPC=-1.70%, 95%CI: -1.82%- -1.58%, P<0.001). The GM (1,1) models can be used for medium and long-term predictions. The results of the residual test show that the average relative error values of all models are less than 10.00%, the prediction accuracy values are more than 80.00%, and the prediction effects are good. The results of the posterior error method show that all the prediction results are good except the qualified prediction of the age-standardized morbidity rate in men. In 2029, the crude morbidity rates would increase to 3.57/100 000, 2.78/100 000, and 4.40/100 000, respectively, and the age-standardized incidence rates would increase to 2.38/100 000, 1.89/100 000, and 2.88/100 000, respectively, the crude mortality rates would increase to 0.57/100 000, 0.62/100 000 and 0.53/100 000, and the age-standardized mortality rates would decrease to 0.33/100 000, 0.42/100 000 and 0.27/100 000 in all population, men and women in China. Conclusions: The overall, gender- specific age-standardized mortality rates showed downward trends in the last decade or so, and the prediction results showed that it might further decline. However, the crude morbidity rates, age-standardized and crude mortality rates have been on the rise, and the population aging is becoming increasingly serious in China, which requires close attention and targeted prevention and control measures.

Studies on orally disintegrating tablet of diphenhydramine hydrochloride and caffeine / 药学实践杂志

Objective To optimize the formulation and preparation of diphenhydramine hydrochloride and caffeine orally disintegrating tablet. Methods Melt granulation technology of steric acid and API was used to mask the unpleasant tasting of diphenhydramine hydrochloride. The tablets were prepared by direct pressing the dry powder with CCMC-Na as disintegrating agent. The formulation was optimized by orthogonal experiments to achieve the shortest disintegration time and the best taste correction. Results The optimized formula of orally disintegrating tablet was as follows： diphenhydramine hydrochloride 25 mg, caffeine 60 mg, stearic acid 25 mg, aspatan 40 mg, blueberry essence 7 mg, mannitol 45 mg, MCC 210 mg, CCMC-NA 25 mg, SDS 8 mg and magnesium stearate 5 mg. Conclusion This preparation method for orally disintegrating tablet of diphenhydramine hydrochloride and caffeine is practical and easy for quality control.

C/EBPβ/AEP Signaling Drives Alzheimer's Disease Pathogenesis / 神经科学通报·英文版

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia. Almost two-thirds of patients with AD are female. The reason for the higher susceptibility to AD onset in women is unclear. However, hormone changes during the menopausal transition are known to be associated with AD. Most recently, we reported that follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) promotes AD pathology and enhances cognitive dysfunctions via activating the CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein (C/EBPβ)/asparagine endopeptidase (AEP) pathway. This review summarizes our current understanding of the crucial role of the C/EBPβ/AEP pathway in driving AD pathogenesis by cleaving multiple critical AD players, including APP and Tau, explaining the roles and the mechanisms of FSH in increasing the susceptibility to AD in postmenopausal females. The FSH-C/EBPβ/AEP pathway may serve as a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of AD.

Ecological strategy of Phyllostachys heteroclada oliver in the riparian zone based on ecological stoichiometry.

The abnormality of seasonal water level fluctuation in the riparian zone causes various ecological and environmental problems, such as vegetation degradation, biodiversity reduction, soil erosion, and landscape transformation, thereby critically modifying the ecosystem structure and functions. This necessitates the development of a dominant vegetation zone with competitive potential. In this study, we investigated the content and distribution pattern of nutrient elements in each organ of the dominant bamboo species, Phyllostachys heteroclada, in the riparian zone. We also analyzed the morphological characteristics, root aeration tissue structure, root oxygen exchange capacity, ATP supply situation, and leaf PSII photosynthetic mechanism of two bamboo species (P. heteroclada and P. nigra) in the riparian zone. Compared with P. nigra, the roots of P. heteroclada formed well-developed oxygen storage and transport structure, i.e., aeration tissue, and exhibited root oxygen secretion in the waterlogging environment of the riparian zone, whereas the roots maintained a high ATP content through energy metabolism, thus benefiting mineral absorption and transport. Moreover, the accumulation of N, P, Ca, Mg, and Fe in the leaves of P. heteroclada was greater under waterlogging conditions than under non-waterlogging conditions, which is the basis for the efficient operation of the photosynthetic mechanism of the leaves. Compared with waterlogged P. nigra, the PSII electron acceptor QA of P. heteroclada leaves had a vigorous reducing ability and showed higher efficiency of light uptake energy as well as higher quantum yield indexes ϕ(Eo) and ϕ(Po). This study demonstrates that the ecological adaptive regulation strategies of P. heteroclada in the riparian zone are intrinsic driving factors affecting their stoichiometric characteristics, including changes in the absorption and transport of minerals caused by root aeration structure and energy metabolism. Moreover, carbon production and allocation may be caused by the stable photosynthetic mechanism and source-sink relationship of leaves. Through the synergistic regulation of different organs realizing their roles and functions, P. heteroclada developed ecological stoichiometry characteristics adapted to the riparian zone.

Using plant extracts and their active ingredients to inhibit bacterial biofilms / 生物工程学报

Numerous studies have reported that the resistance of biofilm bacteria to antibiotics can be up to 10-1 000 fold higher than that of planktonic bacteria. Bacterial biofilms are reported to be responsible for more than 80% of human microbial infection, posing great challenges to the healthcare sector. Many studies have reported that plant extracts and their active ingredients can inhibit the formation and development of bacterial biofilms, including reducing biofilm biomass and the number of viable bacteria in biofilms, as well as eradicating mature biofilms. This review summarized the plant extracts and their active ingredients that are inhibitory to bacterial biofilms, and analyzed the underpinning mechanisms. This review may serve as a reference for the development of plant drugs to prevent and treat biofilm infections.

Comparison on the establishment of proprioceptive hypoesthesia model of anterior cruciate ligament by open surgery and minimally invasive surgery / 解剖学报

[Abstract] Objective To provide an optimized animal model for basic research by comparing the establishment of proprioceptive hypoesthesia model of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) by open surgery and minimally invasive surgery. Methods Totally 30 normal cynomolgus monkeys were randomly divided into five groups: minimally invasive surgery group: unilateral ACL injury under arthroscope, n = 6; open surgery group: unilateral ACL injury through direct incision of knee joint, n = 6; minimally invasive sham operation group: unilateral ACL without injury through arthroscopic cleaning only, n = 6; open surgery group: unilateral ACL exploration without injury through direct incision of knee joint, n = 6; positive normal group: no surgical intervention, n = 6. Four weeks later, the neurophysiological examination [somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) and motor nerve conduction velocity (MCV)] was carried out. The macaque was killed and its unilateral ACL was stained with gold chloride. The number and variation of ACL proprioceptors were observed and recorded. Results In the aspect of neuroelectrophysiology, except the normal group, the latency of SEPs and MCV were prolonged, and the amplitude decreased. In terms of proprioceptors, the total number of minimally invasive surgery group: 578. 00± 12. 68, amplitude: 36. 33 ± 3. 72; total number of open surgery group: 367. 67 ± 9. 33, amplitude: 77. 00 ± 5. 55; total number of open sham operation group: 969. 00±18. 26, amplitude: 0±0; total number of normal group: 970. 46±16. 34, amplitude: 0± 0, the total number of proprioceptors decreased and the number of variation increased in all four groups except the normal group. At the same time, in the comparison of the two aspects, there were significant differences between the open operation group and the minimally invasive operation group, the open operation group and the open sham operation group, and the minimally invasive operation group and the minimally invasive sham operation group (P0. 05). Conclusion Both the open operation group and the minimally invasive operation group can build ACL proprioceptive hypoesthesia model, but the minimally invasive operation has less damage to the tissues around ACL, more scientific and single model, and less experimental error, which is of great significance in the basic research of ACL injury.

Oblique lateral interbody fusion of 3D printed lateral fusion cage combined with percutaneous pedicle screw fixation for lumbar spondylolisthesis / 西安交通大学学报(医学版)

【Objective】 To discuss the early clinical effect of percutaneous pedicle screw fixation combined with oblique lateral interbody fusion（OLIF） of 3D printed lateral fusion cage for lumbar spondylolisthesis. 【Methods】 Total 21 patients with lumbar spondylolisthesis were enrolled in our study during September 2018 to August 2020. All the patients were treated with percutaneous pedicle screw fixation combined with OLIF of 3D printed lateral fusion cage. The time of operation， blood loss and complications were recorded. Clinical symptoms including low back pain and leg pain were evaluated using a visual analog scale （VAS）， the Oswestry disability index （ODI）， and the MOS item short from health survey （SF-36） before，1 week， and 6 months after surgery. CT and MRI images were evaluated before， 1 week， and 6 months after surgery. Disk height， interforaminal height， degree of upper vertebral slip and intervertebral fusion were evaluated with CT. Sagittal and axial diameters and cross-sectional areas of the spinal canal were evaluated with MRI. 【Results】 The average operation time of all the patients was （110.0±22.8） min， and the average intraoperative blood loss was （56.8±21.6） mL. All the patients were followed up 6 months after operation. The VAS score of lower back pain， VAS score of leg pain and ODI decreased from （6.8±1.6）， （5.6±1.8） and （57.6±13.4）% to （1.5±1.0）， （1.5±0.9） and （13.1±5.2）%， respectively. The differences were statistically significant （P<0.001）. The PCS and MCS scores of SF-36 increased statistically significantly from （27.3±11.8） and （52.4±14.6） before operation to （57.6±10.5） and （76.1±12.0） at follow-up， respectively （P<0.001）. Six months after operation， the height of intervertebral space， the height of intervertebral foramen， the percentage of slip， the sagittal diameter and axial diameter， and cross-sectional area of spinal canal were significantly different from those before operation （P<0.001）. Six months after operation， the fusion rate of the upper and lower interfaces of the 3D printed interbody fusion cage was 100%. There were no serious complications such as nerve or vascular injury after operation. 【Conclusion】 Posterior minimally invasive pedicle screw reduction and fixation technique combined with oblique lateral approach implantation of 3D printing lateral fusion cage in the treatment of lumbar spondylolisthesis has satisfactory early clinical results. This technique can provide a new choice for minimally invasive treatment of lumbar spondylolisthesis.

Analysis of robot-assisted laparoscopic versus laparoscopic partial nephrectomy for the treatment of completely endophytic renal tumors / 中华泌尿外科杂志

Objective:To compare the efficacy and safety of robot-assisted laparoscopic and laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (RAPN and LPN) for patients with completely endophytic renal tumor.Methods:A total of 73 patients with completely endophytic renal tumor receiving RAPN (n=29) or LPN (n=44) in our center between January 2015 and June 2021 were retrospectively collected. There were 21 males and 8 females in RAPN group. The average age was 48.6±13.7 years old, average tumor size was 2.9±0.9 cm with 13 left tumors and 16 right tumors, average R. E.N.A.L. score was 9.2±1.0, and average preoperative eGFR was 82.6±10.7 ml/(min·1.73 m 2). There were 27 males and 17 females in LPN group. The average age was 50.1±12.3 years old, average tumor size was 2.9±0.9 cm with 24 left tumors and 20 right tumors, average R. E.N.A.L. score was 9.1±1.3, and average preoperative eGFR was 81.7±9.6 ml/(min·1.73 m 2). There was no significant difference in above variables between two groups. The operative time, warm ischemia time, blood loss, postoperative complication, postoperative hospital stay and postoperative 3 months renal function of two groups were compared. Results:All 73 patients successfully underwent RAPN or LPN and no patient converted to radical nephrectomy or open surgery. There was no significant difference in operation time [140(80, 160) min vs. 150 (90, 180) min, P=0.264], intraoperative estimated blood loss[150 (100, 200)vs. 180 (120, 200) ml, P=0.576]and postoperative hospital stay (7.0±2.7 vs. 7.4±2.1 days, P=0.480) between two groups. Compared with LPN group, RAPN group had obvious less warm ischemia time (23.1±3.3 vs. 27.6±4.7 min, P<0.001). No obvious complication occurred in RAPN group and one case with postoperative hemorrhage occurred in LPN group. No positive margin occurred in either group. There was no difference in renal function 3 months after operation between the two groups [73.2±6.3 vs.70.5±7.6ml/(min·1.73 m 2), P=0.117]. The median follow-up period was 22.6 months with no tumor recurrence or metastasis. Conclusions:For experienced surgeons, both RAPN and LPN are safe and feasible for patients with completely endophytic renal tumor. Compared with LPN, RAPN has advantages of perioperative curative effect, which could reduce the operating difficulty and shorten the warm ischemia time.

Peripheral insulin resistance aggravated cognitive impairment and phosphorylated Tau protein in MAPT transgenic mice / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective:To investigate the effects of insulin resistance induced by long-term high-fat diet on cognitive function and brain phosphorylated Tau protein in pR5 MAPT Tau transgenic mice.Methods:Eight-week-old female pR5 MAPT transgenic mice were divided into standard diet(STD) group (pR5 STD, n=8) and high-fat diet(HFD) group (pR5 HFD, n=8). Female wild-type C57BL/6 mice fed with STD were used as control group (WT STD, n=8). The experiment was carried out for 30 weeks until the mice were old.During the experiment, the weight of mice was measured once a week and fasting blood glucose was measured once every two weeks.Thirty weeks later, glucose tolerance test and insulin tolerance test were carried out.Forced swimming test and tail suspension test were used to evaluate the depressive behavior of mice, and elevated plus maze test was used to evaluate the anxiety behavior, Morris water maze test was used to evaluate spatial memory behavior.The levels of total Tau protein and phosphorylated Tau proteins H7-tau, p-tau-Ser396 and p-tau-Thr231 were detected by Western blot.SPSS 17.0 software was used for statistical analysis, repeated measurement ANOVA was used for the data of glucose tolerance test and insulin tolerance test, one-way ANOVA was used for multi group comparison, and LSD test was used for further pairwise comparison. Results:After 30 weeks of high-fat diet, there were significant differences in body weight and fasting blood glucose among the three groups ( F=808.31, 1 117.18, both P<0.01). The body weight of mice in pR5 HFD group ((54.35±2.52)g) was higher than those in pR5 STD group ((24.95±1.15) g) and WT STD group ((23.86±1.10) g) (both P<0.01), and the fasting blood glucose of mice in pR5 HFD group ((8.12±0.24) mmol/L) was significantly higher than those in pR5 STD group ((4.64±0.13) mmol/L) and WT STD group ((4.45±0.22) mmol/L) (both P<0.01). Glucose tolerance test showed that within 120 minutes after injection of glucose, there was a significant time and group interaction in the blood glucose value among the three groups ( F=113.30, P<0.01). After glucose injection, the peak value of blood glucose in pR5 HFD group was delayed, suggesting that glucose tolerance in pR5 HFD group was impaired.The insulin tolerance test showed that there was a significant interaction between time and group in the insulin tolerance among the three groups ( F=209.92, P<0.01). After injection of insulin, the blood glucose in pR5 HFD group decreased slowly, reaching the valley value at 60 min, and then the blood glucose increased significantly, suggesting that the sensitivity of pR5 HFD group mice to insulin decreased significantly.There were significant differences in the percentage of forced swimming immobility time and tail suspension immobility time among the three groups ( F=37.05, 59.29, both P<0.01). The two indexes of pR5 STD group and pR5 HFD group were both higher than those of WT STD group (all P<0.01), and those of pR5 HFD group were both higher than those of pR5 STD group (both P<0.01). The results of elevated plus maze showed that there were significant differences in the activity distance and time in open arm among the three groups ( F=7.82, 10.37, both P<0.05) .The activity distance ((0.40±0.21) m) and activity time ((27.38±8.80) s) of pR5 HFD group were significantly lower than those of pR5 STD group ((2.31±1.74) m, (63.56±27.52)s) (both P<0.05). The space exploration test showed that the residence time in the target quadrant of pR5 HFD group ((15.56±1.16)s) was less than that of pR5 STD group((19.18±0.64)s)( P<0.01), and the time of entering the platform area of pR5 HFD group((1.43±0.06)s) was less than that of pR5 STD group((1.66±0.12)s)( P<0.01). Western blot showed that there were significant differences in the levels of total Tau protein, H7-tau, p-tau-Ser396 and p-tau-Thr231 protein among the three groups ( F=101.50, 80.60, 55.47, 30.89, all P<0.05). Further pairwise comparison showed that the levels of the four Tau proteins showed: the levels of the proteins in pR5 STD group and pR5 HFD group were all higher than those of WT STD group (all P<0.01), and those in pR5 HFD group were all higher than those in pR5 STD group (all P<0.05). Conclusion:Long-term high fat diet causes obesity, hyperglycemia and peripheral insulin resistance, and promotes the cognitive impairment of MAPT mice, which is related to the increase of Tau protein phosphorylation in the brains of MAPT mice.

Metabolic dysregulation and emerging therapeutical targets for hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an aggressive human cancer with increasing incidence worldwide. Multiple efforts have been made to explore pharmaceutical therapies to treat HCC, such as targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors, immune based therapies and combination of chemotherapy. However, limitations exist in current strategies including chemoresistance for instance. Tumor initiation and progression is driven by reprogramming of metabolism, in particular during HCC development. Recently, metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), a reappraisal of new nomenclature for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), indicates growing appreciation of metabolism in the pathogenesis of liver disease, including HCC, thereby suggesting new strategies by targeting abnormal metabolism for HCC treatment. In this review, we introduce directions by highlighting the metabolic targets in glucose, fatty acid, amino acid and glutamine metabolism, which are suitable for HCC pharmaceutical intervention. We also summarize and discuss current pharmaceutical agents and studies targeting deregulated metabolism during HCC treatment. Furthermore, opportunities and challenges in the discovery and development of HCC therapy targeting metabolism are discussed.

Whole-exome sequencing in diagnosing 2 cases of Gitelman syndrome / 中南大学学报(医学版)

Two patients with Gitelman syndrome were admitted to the Department of Endocrinology, Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University. The genomic DNA from the patients' peripheral blood was extracted and the whole-exome sequencing was performed to detect the possible mutations. The function of the mutation sites was analyzed by bioinformatics software. Through whole-exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing, we have found that 2 patients with Gitelman syndrome carried compound heterozygous mutations of SLC12A3 gene, which were c.486_490delTACGGinsA, p.R943W, p.D486N, and p.R928C. Among them, c.486_490delTACGGinsA insertion deletion mutation causes frame shift and protein truncation. The p.R943W, p.D486N, and p.R928C of SLC12A3 gene were predicted to be pathogenic mutations by SIFT, PolyPhen2, and Mutation Taster. These 4 mutations were all reported, but p.R943W was first reported in Chinese population. Gitelman syndrome is rare in clinic and the rate of missed diagnosis is high. Early genetic analysis in patients with Gitelman syndrome is helpful to determine the etiology and guide the treatment.

Comprehensive evaluation method of real-time non-reference ultrasound image involving soft tissue deformation / 生物医学工程学杂志

Ultrasound guided percutaneous interventional therapy has been widely used in clinic. Aiming at the problem of soft tissue deformation caused by probe contact force in robot-assisted ultrasound-guided therapy, a real-time non-reference ultrasound image evaluation method considering soft tissue deformation is proposed. On the basis of ultrasound image brightness and sharpness, a multi-dimensional ultrasound image evaluation index was designed, which incorporated the aggregation characteristics of the organization. In order to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, ultrasound images of four different models were collected for experiments, including prostate phantom, phantom with cyst, pig liver tissue, and pig liver tissue with cyst. In addition, the correlation between subjective and objective evaluations was analyzed based on Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. Experimental results showed that the average evaluation time of a single image was 68.8 milliseconds. The evaluation time could satisfy real-time applications. The proposed method realizes the effective evaluation of real-time ultrasound image quality in robot-assisted therapy, and has good consistency with the evaluation of supervisors.

Autonomic nervous symptoms as the initial presentation in systemic light-chain amyloidosis with multiple myeloma: a case report / 中华神经科杂志

Immunoglobulin light chain amyloidosis (AL) is characterized by the extracellular tissue deposition of insoluble fibrils as a result of protein misfolding. These tissue deposits may be responsible for progressive failure in several organs. Among them, neuropathy may be presented as the first manifestation. The patient reported here presented initially with autonomic nervous system impairment, mainly characterized by severe refractory orthostatic hypotension, which became progressively invalidating, forcing the patient to bed. Moreover, since the systemic involvement of the disease, the patient also presented with diarrhea, peripheral polyneuropathy, and kidney dysfunction. Eventually, the massive myocardial depression and infiltration led to a fatal outcome due to ventricular fibrillation. Examination revealed M protein in serum and urine protein electrophoresis. Rectal mucosa and skin biopsy confirmed amyloidosis, and bone marrow biopsy showed cellular infiltration was over 35% with 23% immature plasma cells. The patient was confirmed as AL with multiple myeloma.

[Application of pueumatic tourniquet in the operation of lower tibiofibular fracture].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the complications of tourniquet in the clinical application of lower tibiofibular fracture. METHODS: From June 2018 to September 2019, 33 cases of closed lower tibiofibular fractures (AO type 43A) were treated with plates and screws and were divided into two groups according to whether pueumatic tourniquet was used:16 cases in the observation group, 13 males and 3 females, aged 18 to 69 (38.8±17.0) years, the operation time after injury was (6.9±1.7) days, and tourniquet was not used during operation. There were 17 cases in the control group, 13 males and 4 females, aged from 21 to 71 (43.8±12.4) years, the operation time after injury was (6.5±1.0) days, automatic pneumatic tourniquetwas routinely used in the operation. The operation time, blood loss, postoperative swelling, pain and other complications were compared between two groups. RESULTS: Total of 33 patients were followed up for an average of 15 months. There was no significant difference in operation time and blood loss between two groups (P>0.05). The VAS scores of limb pain in the observation group were 5.13±1.70 and 2.25±1.60 respectively 1 and 3 days after operation, which were significantly lower than those in the control group 7.35±1.30 and 4.18±1.60;the swelling was (3.67±0.70) cm and (2.02±0.90) cm respectively, which was significantly lower than(4.54±0.40) cm and(3.54±0.40) cm in the control group (P<0.05);there were 1 case of tourniquet pain, 1 case of numbness, 1 case of blister and 1 case of poor wound healing in the control group, there were no such complications in the observation group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The fracture of lower tibiofibular segment is superficial and easy to be exposed and fixed during operation. In order to avoid tourniquet complications, it is not recommended to use air bag tourniquet routinely or minimize the application time of tourniquet.

Screening and identifying hepatobiliary diseases through deep learning using ocular images: a prospective, multicentre study.

BACKGROUND: Ocular changes are traditionally associated with only a few hepatobiliary diseases. These changes are non-specific and have a low detection rate, limiting their potential use as clinically independent diagnostic features. Therefore, we aimed to engineer deep learning models to establish associations between ocular features and major hepatobiliary diseases and to advance automated screening and identification of hepatobiliary diseases from ocular images. METHODS: We did a multicentre, prospective study to develop models using slit-lamp or retinal fundus images from participants in three hepatobiliary departments and two medical examination centres. Included participants were older than 18 years and had complete clinical information; participants diagnosed with acute hepatobiliary diseases were excluded. We trained seven slit-lamp models and seven fundus models (with or without hepatobiliary disease [screening model] or one specific disease type within six categories [identifying model]) using a development dataset, and we tested the models with an external test dataset. Additionally, we did a visual explanation and occlusion test. Model performances were evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), sensitivity, specificity, and F1* score. FINDINGS: Between Dec 16, 2018, and July 31, 2019, we collected data from 1252 participants (from the Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, the Department of Infectious Diseases of the Affiliated Huadu Hospital of Southern Medical University, and the Nantian Medical Centre of Aikang Health Care [Guangzhou, China]) for the development dataset; between Aug 14, 2019, and Jan 31, 2020, we collected data from 537 participants (from the Department of Infectious Diseases of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University and the Huanshidong Medical Centre of Aikang Health Care [Guangzhou, China]) for the test dataset. The AUROC for screening for hepatobiliary diseases of the slit-lamp model was 0·74 (95% CI 0·71-0·76), whereas that of the fundus model was 0·68 (0·65-0·71). For the identification of hepatobiliary diseases, the AUROCs were 0·93 (0·91-0·94; slit-lamp) and 0·84 (0·81-0·86; fundus) for liver cancer, 0·90 (0·88-0·91; slit-lamp) and 0·83 (0·81-0·86; fundus) for liver cirrhosis, and ranged 0·58-0·69 (0·55-0·71; slit-lamp) and 0·62-0·70 (0·58-0·73; fundus) for other hepatobiliary diseases, including chronic viral hepatitis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, cholelithiasis, and hepatic cyst. In addition to the conjunctiva and sclera, our deep learning model revealed that the structures of the iris and fundus also contributed to the classification. INTERPRETATION: Our study established qualitative associations between ocular features and major hepatobiliary diseases, providing a non-invasive, convenient, and complementary method for hepatobiliary disease screening and identification, which could be applied as an opportunistic screening tool. FUNDING: Science and Technology Planning Projects of Guangdong Province; National Key R&D Program of China; Guangzhou Key Laboratory Project; National Natural Science Foundation of China.