[Pituitary Crooke cell neuroendocrine tumor of adrenocorticotropic hormone differentiation-specific transcription factor lineage: a clinicopathological analysis of six cases].

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features of Crooke cell tumor of adrenocorticotropic hormone differentiation specific transcription factor (TPIT, also known as transcription factor 19, TBX19) lineage neuroendocrine tumors. Methods: Six cases of Crooke cell tumor diagnosed at the First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China from October 2019 to October 2023 were collected. The clinical and pathological features of these cases were analyzed. Results: Among the six cases, one was male and five were female, with ages ranging from 26 to 75 years, and an average age of 44 years. All tumors occurred within the sella turcica. Clinical presentations included visual impairment in two cases, menstrual disorders in one case, Cushing's syndrome in one case, headache in one case, and one asymptomatic case discovered during a physical examination. Preoperative serum analyses revealed elevated levels of cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormones in two cases, elevated cortisol in two cases, elevated adrenocorticotropic hormone in one case, and one case with a mild increase in prolactin due to the pituitary stalk effect. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed uneven enhancement of masses with maximum diameters ranging from 1.7 to 3.2 cm, all identified as macroadenomas. Microscopically, tumor cells exhibited irregular polygonal shapes, solid sheets, or pseudo-papillary arrangements around blood vessels. The cell nuclei were eccentric or centrally located, varying in size, with abundant cytoplasm. Some tumor cells showed perinuclear halo. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated diffuse strong positivity for TPIT in five cases, focal weak positivity for TPIT in one case, diffuse strong positivity for adrenocorticotropic hormone in all cases, and faint staining around the nuclei in a few cells. CK8/18 showed a strong positive ring pattern in more than 50% of tumor cells, focal weak positive expression of p53, and the Ki-67 positive index ranged 1%-5%. Periodic acid-Schiff staining revealed positive cytoplasm and negative perinuclear areas. Conclusions: Crooke cell tumor is a rare type of pituitary neuroendocrine tumors. Its pathological characteristics include a distinctive perinuclear clear zone and immunohistochemical markers, such as CK8/18 exhibiting a ring or halo pattern. This entity represents a high-risk subtype among pituitary neuroendocrine tumors, displaying a high risk of invasion and a propensity for recurrence. Accurate diagnosis is crucial for the postoperative follow-up and multimodal treatment planning.

[A multicenter prospective study on early identification of refractory Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in children].

Objective: To explore potential predictors of refractory Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (RMPP) in early stage. Methods: The prospective multicenter study was conducted in Zhejiang, China from May 1st, 2019 to January 31st, 2020. A total of 1 428 patients with fever >48 hours to <120 hours were studied. Their clinical data and oral pharyngeal swab samples were collected; Mycoplasma pneumoniae DNA in pharyngeal swab specimens was detected. Patients with positive Mycoplasma pneumoniae DNA results underwent a series of tests, including chest X-ray, complete blood count, C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and procalcitonin. According to the occurrence of RMPP, the patients were divided into two groups, RMPP group and general Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (GMPP) group. Measurement data between the 2 groups were compared using Mann-Whitney U test. Logistic regression analyses were used to examine the associations between clinical data and RMPP. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to analyse the power of the markers for predicting RMPP. Results: A total of 1 428 patients finished the study, with 801 boys and 627 girls, aged 4.3 (2.7, 6.3) years. Mycoplasma pneumoniae DNA was positive in 534 cases (37.4%), of whom 446 cases (83.5%) were diagnosed with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia, including 251 boys and 195 girls, aged 5.2 (3.3, 6.9) years. Macrolides-resistant variation was positive in 410 cases (91.9%). Fifty-five cases were with RMPP, 391 cases with GMPP. The peak body temperature before the first visit and LDH levels in RMPP patients were higher than that in GMPP patients (39.6 (39.1, 40.0) vs. 39.2 (38.9, 39.7) ℃, 333 (279, 392) vs. 311 (259, 359) U/L, both P<0.05). Logistic regression showed the prediction probability π=exp (-29.7+0.667×Peak body temperature (℃)+0.004×LDH (U/L))/(1+exp (-29.7+0.667×Peak body temperature (℃)+0.004 × LDH (U/L))), the cut-off value to predict RMPP was 0.12, with a consensus of probability forecast of 0.89, sensitivity of 0.89, and specificity of 0.67; and the area under ROC curve was 0.682 (95%CI 0.593-0.771, P<0.01). Conclusion: In MPP patients with fever over 48 to <120 hours, a prediction probability π of RMPP can be calculated based on the peak body temperature and LDH level before the first visit, which can facilitate early identification of RMPP.

[Identification of lymph node metastasis related genes in prostate cancer using weighted gene co-expression network analysis].

Objective: To explore the molecular markers related to lymph node metastasis of prostate cancer (PCa) based on bioinformatics technology and carry out clinical verification. Methods: The differentially expressed genes of PCa with lymph node metastasis were screened from geo data, and the hub genes of the gene co expression network were constructed. The hub genes were incorporated into the support vector machine model to evaluate its prediction efficiency. The hub genes were verified in the TCGA data set and analyzed for immune infiltration. The clinical data of 80 patients with prostate cancer in the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University from January 2019 to December 2022 were collected. The logistic risk model was used to evaluate the prediction efficiency of hub gene metastasis. Results: Five hub genes (GSK3B, TP53, PSMC6, SUMO1, PIK3CA) were identified, and the support vector machine model constructed by them had good diagnostic value (the accuracy rate was 83.87%). TCGA validation results showed that only PSMC6 was significantly differentially expressed in PCa tissues with lymph node metastasis (P<0.001). The results of immune infiltration analysis showed that the expression of PSMC6 was significantly correlated with 9 kinds of immune cells (B cells, DC, IDC, etc.). Clinical information analysis showed that the expression of PSMC6 was significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis, PSA value, T stage and Gleason score (P<0.01). Univariate logistic results showed that T stage (OR=3.230, 95%CI:1.192-8.757, P=0.021), Gleason score (OR=4.627, 95%CI:2.212-9.677, P<0.001), PSMC6 (OR=25.235, 95%CI:5.326-119.560, P<0.001) could be used as predictors of lymph node metastasis. Multivariate logistic analysis showed that PSMC6 (OR=16.537, 95%CI:2.928-93.393, P=0.001) could be used as an independent risk factor for predicting lymph node metastasis. Conclusion: PSMC6 may be used as a potential molecular marker for judging lymph node metastasis in patients with PCa.

[The value of a nomogram for predicting the outcome of intracerebral hemorrhage based on clinical characteristics and diffusion-weighted imaging of hyperintense lesions].

Objective: To investigate the value of a nomogram predicting the outcome of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) based on clinical characteristics and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) of hyperintense lesions. Methods: A case-control study. Consecutive patients, aged 30-88(59±13) years old, with ICH were recruited at the Stroke Center of Zhengzhou People's Hospital from January 2018 to August 2021. Patients were divided into a group with DWI lesions and a group without DWI lesions depending on whether there were DWI hyperintense lesions distant from the hematoma. Prognosis was evaluated at 90 days via the modified Rankin Scale (mRS). Univariate and multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify independent predictors of a poor ICH outcome (mRS score≥4), and a nomogram model was developed. The performance of the nomogram was validated via the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and a calibration chart. Results: Of the 303 patients included in the study, 24.8% presented with DWI lesions; 17.5% with asymptomatic DWI lesions and 7.3% with symptomatic DWI lesions. Poor outcomes were significantly more frequent in the group with DWI lesions than in the group without DWI lesions (χ2=21.32, P<0.001). In multivariable regression analysis, age [odds ratio (OR)=1.032, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.002-1.063, P=0.035], hematoma volume (OR=1.050, 95%CI 1.011-1.090, P=0.012), hematoma location (OR=3.839, 95%CI 1.248-11.805, P=0.019), DWI lesions (OR=3.955, 95%CI 1.906-8.206, P<0.001), and baseline NIHSS scores (OR=1.102, 95%CI 1.038-1.170, P=0.001) were independent predictors of a poor outcome. In subgroup analysis patients with asymptomatic DWI lesions had a 3-fold greater risk of a poor outcome compared to those without DWI lesions (OR=3.135, 95%CI 1.382-7.112, P=0.006), and patients with symptomatic DWI lesions had a 7-fold greater risk of a poor outcome compared to those without DWI lesions (OR=7.126, 95%CI 2.279-22.277, P=0.001). A nomogram model was established based on the independent predictors for a poor outcome. The AUC of the nomogram was 0.846 (95%CI 0.795-0.898), and a calibration chart indicated good consistency between values predicted by the nomogram and actual observed values. Conclusions: DWI lesions are an independent risk factor for a poor outcome in patients with ICH-particularly symptomatic DWI lesions. A nomogram model based on clinical characteristics and DWI lesions exhibited good efficacy when predicting the outcome of ICH.

Impact of maternal age on perinatal outcomes in twin pregnancies: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Current evidence of the maternal, perinatal and neonatal outcomes in twin pregnancies among mothers with advanced age is unclear, especially for mothers with age above 40 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic search was conducted using the PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases. Studies that were observational in design or analysed retrospective data were considered for inclusion. The included studies had to be conducted in twin pregnancies and should have documented the effect of maternal age on obstetric and/or neonatal outcomes. Statistical analysis was performed using STATA software. RESULTS: A total of 20 studies were considered for inclusion. All the studies were based on retrospective data. Compared to mothers aged under 40 years, those with advanced age (≥40 years) had increased risk of caesarean delivery [RR 1.20, 95% CI: 1.05, 1.37], gestational hypertension [RR 2.71, 95% CI: 1.72, 4.27], gestational diabetes mellitus [RR 2.03, 95% CI: 1.28, 3.21], preterm birth [RR 2.47, 95% CI: 1.09, 5.80], neonatal admission to intensive care unit [RR 1.78, 95% CI: 1.21, 2.64] and perinatal and/or neonatal mortality [RR 5.76, 95% CI: 1.11, 29.7]. The risk of gestational diabetes mellitus [RR 1.52, 95% CI: 1.21, 1.90] and having caesarean delivery [RR 1.19, 95% CI: 1.10, 1.28] was higher in mothers with ≥35 years of age, compared to those <35 years. There were no significant differences in the risk of adverse neonatal outcomes among the mothers with age ≥35 years. However, in these mothers, the risk of perinatal/neonatal mortality [RR 0.82, 95% CI: 0.76, 0.88] was comparatively lower than in mothers under 35 years of age. There appeared no significant risk of advanced maternal age for postpartum haemorrhage, hospitalization during pregnancy and premature rupture of membranes. CONCLUSIONS: The increased risk of maternal, neonatal and perinatal outcomes in mothers with advanced age highlights the need for close follow-up, early detection and management of medical complications in twin pregnancies.

Application of CT perfusion imaging in NSCLC and its correlation with angiogenesis and lymph node metastasis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the application of computed tomography (CT) perfusion imaging in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and its correlation with angiogenesis and lymph node metastasis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 100 patients with NSCLC were selected as the study subjects. They were admitted to our hospital from January 2013 to January 2018. All patients were examined by CT perfusion imaging after admission. The differences and correlations of CT perfusion imaging parameters between patients with different angiogenesis and pathological conditions were analyzed. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in CT perfusion imaging parameters between patients with different tissue types. Blood flow (BF) in patients with lymph node metastasis was significantly higher than that in patients with non-lymph node metastasis. Blood value (BV) and peak enhancement index (PEI) in patients with lymph node metastasis were lower than those in patients with non-lymph node metastasis. There was no significant difference in mean transit time (MTT) between patients with different lymph node metastasis. The BF of stage I-II patients was significantly higher than that of stage III-IV patients, and there was no significant difference in other indexes (p < 0.05). There was significant difference in micro-vessel density (MVD) between patients with different pathological tissues and lymphatic metastasis (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in MVD between patients with different TNM stages (p > 0.05). Lymph node metastasis and MVD are negatively correlated with CT perfusion imaging indices BF, BV and PEI, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: CT perfusion imaging technology can reflect the formation of pulmonary capillaries and the ability of metastasis and dissemination of tumors to a certain extent.

Acupuncture for recurrent urinary tract infection in women: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Increasing antibiotic resistance has motivated interest in non-antibiotic prophylaxis of recurrent urinary tract infections (rUTI). OBJECTIVES: To conduct a systematic review of the current state of evidence of acupuncture for uncomplicated rUTI in women. SEARCH STRATEGY: Nine databases (PubMed, Embase, CENTRAL, CINAHL, AMED, CBM, CNKI, CQVIP, Wanfang) were searched from inception to February 2019. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the effects of acupuncture and related therapies for prophylaxis or treatment of uncomplicated rUTI in women were included. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Risk of bias was assessed, and the quality and strength of evidence evaluated using the GRADE framework. Results were reported as risk ratios (RR) for dichotomous outcomes or mean differences (MD) for continuous outcomes, with 95% confidence intervals (CI). MAIN RESULTS: Five RCTs involving 341 participants were included. Methodological quality of studies and strength of the evidence were low to moderate. The chance of achieving a composite cure with acupuncture therapies was greater than that with antibiotics (three studies, 170 participants, RR 1.92, 95% CI 1.31-2.81, I2  = 38%). The risk of UTI recurrence was lower with acupuncture than with no treatment (two studies, 135 participants, RR 0.39, 95% CI 0.26-0.58, I2  = 0%) and sham acupuncture (one study, 53 participants, RR 0.45, 95% CI 0.22-0.92). CONCLUSIONS: Acupuncture appeared to be beneficial for treatment and prophylaxis of rUTIs, noting the limitations of the current evidence. Given the growing challenge of antibiotic resistance, there is a need for high-quality RCTs of non-pharmacological interventions such as acupuncture. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: This review found that acupuncture may improve treatment and prevent recurrence of urinary tract infection in women.

Role of H3K18ac-regulated nucleotide excision repair-related genes in arsenic-induced DNA damage and repair of HaCaT cells.

Arsenic is an environmental poison and is a grade I human carcinogen that can cause many types of damage to the body. The skin is one of the main target organs of arsenic damage, but the molecular mechanisms underlying arsenic poisoning are not clear. Arsenic is an epigenetic agent. Histone acetylation is one of the earliest covalent modifications to be discovered and is closely related to the occurrence and development of tumors. To investigate the role of acetylated histone H3K18 (H3K18 ac) in arsenic-induced DNA damage, HaCaT cells were exposed to sodium arsenite (NaAsO2) for 24 h. It was found that arsenic induced the downregulation of xeroderma pigmentosum A, D, and F (XPA, XPD, and XPF-nucleotide excision repair (NER)-related genes) expression, as well as histone H3K18 ac expression, and aggravated DNA damage. Chromatin immunoprecipitation quantitative polymerase chain reaction (ChIP-qPCR) analysis showed that H3K18 acetylation in the promoter regions of XPA, XPD, and XPF was downregulated. In addition, the use of the histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A (TSA) partially inhibited arsenic-induced DNA damage, inhibited deacetylation of H3K18 ac in the promoter regions of XPA, XPD, and XPF genes, increased acetylation of H3K18, and promoted the transcriptional expression of NER-related genes. Our study revealed that NaAsO2 induces DNA damage and inhibits the expression of NER-related genes, while TSA increases the H3K18 ac enrichment level and promotes the transcriptional expression of NER, thereby inhibiting DNA damage. These findings provide new ideas for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying arsenic-induced skin damage.

Exogenous IL-19 mediates downregulation of TGF-ß through Erk and p38 pathway to inhibit epidural fibrosis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of interleukin-19 (IL-19) treatment on epidural fibrosis and its mechanism of action with transforming growth factor ß (TGF-ß). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Initially, IL-19 (10, 20, 50 and 100 ng/L) was used to pretreat rat fibroblasts. TGF-ß (10 µg/L) was then applied to activate fibroblasts. The protein expression levels of TGF-ß receptor, extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (Erk) and p-38 were measured by Western blotting. In addition, we performed laminectomy at T10 vertebral plate in rats, followed by injection of IL-19 in caudal vein one week after injury. Furthermore, IL-19, TGF-ß and fibrosis indexes were measured by quantitative Real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting at 7 and 28 days after injury, respectively. RESULTS: Concentration-dependent IL-19 significantly down-regulated TGF-ß receptor expression and inhibited phosphorylated Erk (p-Erk) and phosphorylated p38 (p-p38). In vivo, IL-19 reduced the expressions of TGF-ß and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) at 7 days. Furthermore, IL-19 significantly suppressed extracellular matrix productions formation, including α smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and collagen-1 (COL-1), and fibronectin at 28 days. CONCLUSIONS: IL-19 inhibited TGF-ß expression via Erk and p38 pathway. Moreover, it decreased CTGF expression to suppress α-SMA, COL-1 and fibronectin in scar tissues, thereby preventing spinal cord from compression of scar tissues.

Association of NUDT15 c.415C>T allele and thiopurine-induced leukocytopenia in Asians: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Thiopurines, commonly used to treat autoimmune conditions and cancer, can be limited by life-threatening leucopenia. However, whether NUDT15 (nucleoside diphosphate-linked moiety X-type motif 15) is associated with thiopurine-induced leucopenia in Asians is controversial. METHODS: Relevant studies in English that were published until July 10, 2016 were identified through PubMed, EMbase, and other web knowledge databases. Study quality was assessed according to the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) criteria. Summary risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated based on a fixed-effects model or a random-effects model, depending on the absence or presence of significant heterogeneity. RESULTS: Seven studies of 1138 patients met our inclusion criteria. Random-effects model meta-analysis provided evidence that T carriers of NUDT15 c.415C>T were significantly correlated with high incidences of thiopurine-induced leukocytopenia [CT + TT vs. CC: RR = 3.79, 95%CI (2.64 ~ 5.44), P < 0.00001]. This correlation was especially strong in TT patients, where it was found to be significantly increased by 6.54-fold compared with CC patients [TT vs. CC: RR = 6.54, 95%CI (3.34 ~ 12.82), P < 0.00001]. We also found that the NUDT15 c.415C>T variant was common in Asians and Hispanics, but rare in Europeans and Africans; the frequency of the NUDT15 c.415C>T distribution varied substantially by race/ethnicity. CONCLUSION: The results of this meta-analysis confirm that NUDT15 c.415C>T may be an important predictor of thiopurine-induced leukocytopenia in Asians. Genotype targeting of NUDT15 c.415C>T before initiating thiopurine treatment may be useful to limit leukocytopenia.

Identification and characterization of the 14-3-3 gene family in switchgrass.

Members of the 14-3-3 family of proteins are conserved regulatory proteins that are widely found in eukaryotes and play crucial roles in diverse physiological processes, including responses to different stresses. Although genome-wide analysis of 14-3-3 proteins has been performed in a few plant species, it has not been performed in switchgrass. In this study, we identified 21 switchgrass 14-3-3 proteins (designated PvGF14a to PvGF14u) and examined genes for improved stress tolerance in this species. A phylogenetic tree was constructed to demonstrate that PvGF14 proteins can be divided into six groups, and that PvGF14 proteins belonging to each class exhibit similar gene structure. A phylogenetic analysis of PvGF14 proteins among switchgrass, Arabidopsis, and rice was conducted. Ten PvGF14 proteins were found to be orthologous to several abiotic stresses, and these were particularly responsive proteins in Arabidopsis and rice. Tissue-specific expression profiles showed that PvGF14a, PvGF14k, PvGF14l, and PvGF14m may play significant roles in the regulation of lignin metabolism, and that PvGF14r may participate in flower development. Taken together, these data suggest that PvGF14 proteins may be involved in various biosynthesis.

Orthogonal design in the optimization of a start codon targeted (SCoT) PCR system in Roegneria kamoji Ohwi.

Roegneria kamoji Ohwi is an excellent forage grass due to its high feeding value and high resistance to some biotic and abiotic stresses. However, the start codon targeted (SCoT) polymorphism has not been conducted on R. kamoji. In this study, an orthogonal L16 (45) design was employed to investigate the effects of five factors (Mg2+, dNTPs, Taq DNA polymerase, primer, and template DNA) on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to determine the optimal SCoT-PCR system for R. kamoji. The results showed that the most suitable conditions for SCoT-PCR in R. kamoji included 1.5 mM Mg2+, 0.15 mM dNTPs, 1.0 U Taq DNA polymerase, 0.4 pM primer, and 40 ng template DNA. SCoT primers 39 and 41 were used to verify the stability of the optimal reaction system, and amplification bands obtained from diverse samples were found to be clear, rich, and stable in polymorphisms, indicating that this reaction system can be used for SCoT-PCR analysis of R. kamoji. We have developed a simple and rapid way to study the mutual effects of factors and to obtain positive results through the use of an orthogonal design L16 (45) to optimize the SCoT-PCR system. This method may provide basic information for molecular marker-assisted breeding and analyses of genetic diversity in R. kamoji.

Improvements of PKU PMECRIS for continuous hundred hours CW proton beam operation.

In order to improve the source stability, a long term continuous wave (CW) proton beam experiment has been carried out with Peking University compact permanent magnet 2.45 GHz ECR ion source (PKU PMECRIS). Before such an experiment a lot of improvements and modifications were completed on the source body, the Faraday cup and the PKU ion source test bench. At the beginning of 2015, a continuous operation of PKU PMECRIS for 306 h with more than 50 mA CW beam was carried out after success of many short term tests. No plasma generator failure or high voltage breakdown was observed during that running period and the proton source reliability is near 100%. Total beam availability, which is defined as 35-keV beam-on time divided by elapsed time, was higher than 99% [S. X. Peng et al., Chin. Phys. B 24(7), 075203 (2015)]. A re-inspection was performed after another additional 100 h operation (counting time) and no obvious sign of component failure was observed. Counting the previous source testing time together, this PMECRs longevity is now demonstrated to be greater than 460 h. This paper is mainly concentrated on the improvements for this long term experiment.

Duty factor variation possibility from 1% to 100% with PKU microwave driven Cs-free volume H⁻ sources.

Microwave driven cesium-free volume H(-) sources, that have the ability to deliver tens of mA H(-) at 35 keV both in CW and 10% duty factor (100 Hz/1 ms), were developed at Peking University (PKU) [S. X. Peng et al., in Proceeding of IPAC 2015, WEPWA027, Richmond, Virginia, USA, 3-8 May 2015]. Recently, special efforts were paid on the investigation of duty factor variation possibility from 1% to 100% with them. Most of the experiments were carried out with a pulsed length (τ) of 1 ms and different intervals of 99 ms, 49 ms, 39 ms, 29 ms, 19 ms, 9 ms, 4 ms, 2 ms, 1 ms, 0.5 ms, and 0 ms, respectively. Other experiments were focused on CW operation and fixed duty factor of 1%. Experimental results prove that PKU H(-) sources can deliver tens of mA H(-) at duty factor from 1% to 100%. The RF power efficiency increases steadily with the increasing of duty factor from 1% to CW at a fixed pulsed length. Under a given duty factor and pulsed length, RF power efficiency keeps constant and the H(-) current increases with RF power linearly. Details will be presented in the paper.

Study on space charge compensation in negative hydrogen ion beam.

Negative hydrogen ion beam can be compensated by the trapping of ions into the beam potential. When the beam propagates through a neutral gas, these ions arise due to gas ionization by the beam ions. However, the high neutral gas pressure may cause serious negative hydrogen ion beam loss, while low neutral gas pressure may lead to ion-ion instability and decompensation. To better understand the space charge compensation processes within a negative hydrogen beam, experimental study and numerical simulation were carried out at Peking University (PKU). The simulation code for negative hydrogen ion beam is improved from a 2D particle-in-cell-Monte Carlo collision code which has been successfully applied to H(+) beam compensated with Ar gas. Impacts among ions, electrons, and neutral gases in negative hydrogen beam compensation processes are carefully treated. The results of the beam simulations were compared with current and emittance measurements of an H(-) beam from a 2.45 GHz microwave driven H(-) ion source in PKU. Compensation gas was injected directly into the beam transport region to modify the space charge compensation degree. The experimental results were in good agreement with the simulation results.

Efficacy of acupuncture in the management of atopic dermatitis: a systematic review.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) has a high negative impact on quality of life. Acupuncture has antipruritic actions and may assist in treatment of AD; however, the current state of evidence for this remains unknown. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture against placebo/sham acupuncture in the management of AD. Electronic searches were conducted on a number of databases, from their inception until November 2013. Studies comparing the effects of acupuncture with those of placebo/sham acupuncture on severity of disease or symptoms/signs of AD were included. We did not find any studies that were eligible to be included in this systematic review. Among the excluded studies, there were two studies that evaluated the antipruritic effects of acupuncture and one study that evaluated the effects of acupuncture on IgE-mediated allergy. However, there were no randomized controlled trials evaluating the effects of acupuncture on AD as a disease. This finding therefore provides an indication of the current state of evidence of acupuncture in the management of AD, and highlights the research gap that exists, in that there is a lack of gold-standard studies (i.e. RCTs) to support valid conclusions. There is currently no evidence of the effects of acupuncture in the management of AD, and no evidence-based recommendations or conclusions can be made from this review. Several studies indicated that acupuncture may have a role in reducing itch or regulating IgE-mediated allergy, both of which are major characteristics of AD. However, there were no RCTs evaluating the effects of acupuncture on AD as a disease. There is therefore an urgent need for rigorously designed RCTs to assess the efficacy of acupuncture in the management of AD.

Double-pulse laser based on a semiconductor optical amplifier.

In this paper, a double-pulse laser with a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) is proposed. By adjusting the polarization controller, we observe double pulses with repetition frequencies of 10.05 and 12.70 MHz and pulse widths of 33.40 and 30.13 ns, respectively. The laser consists of a SOA asymmetrically placed in a short fiber loop. Its switching time is determined by the off-center position of the SOA within the loop. In the loop, the two pulses, which have the same widths, transmit in the clockwise direction and the counterclockwise direction separately.