Intracerebral hemorrhage with massive milk-like serous fluid: a rare case report.

Computed tomography (CT) scans of acute cerebral hemorrhage are often characterized by high-density imaging with occasional mixed density and low-density imaging features. Possible reasons for this are a lack of blood coagulation, extravasation of cerebrospinal fluid, and brain tissue edema. It is rarely due to the accumulation of lipid components associated with hyperlipidemia. In the present case, preoperative lipid tests and the intraoperative finding of a large amount of milky white fluid surrounding the hematoma confirmed that the low-density imaging surrounding the hematoma visible on the CT scan represented a rare case of lipid accumulation.

Severe inflammation in C57/BL6 mice leads to prolonged cognitive impairment by initiating the IL-1ß/TRPM2 pathway.

BACKGROUND: Sepsis could lead to chronic cognitive impairment by unclear molecular mechanisms. Transient receptor potential melastatin-2 (TRPM2) is essential against immunity-related activities and inflammation. Our study attempted to decipher the relationship between cognitive impairment caused by severe inflammation and TRPM2 expression levels. METHODS: Severe inflammation was induced by intraperitoneally injecting C57/BL6 mice with a high dosage (5 mg kg-1) of Lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Fear conditioning and a Morris water maze test were performed to examine the cognitive abilities of the mice. Moreover, the signaling and expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and TRPM2 were measured using Western blotting and Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Flow cytometry and immunofluorescence staining helped to determine the astrocyte apoptosis rate. RESULTS: Severe inflammation can lead to long-term cognitive impairment in C57/BL6 mice. The interleukin-1 beta (IL-1ß) levels intra-hippocampus were significantly elevated until P14 post-LPS introduction. At both P7 and P14, there is an up-regulation of TRPM2 expression within hippocampus. Administration of recombinant IL-1ß to astrocytes results in a significant up-regulation of TRPM2 expression. IL-1ß or TRPM2 level knockdown helped counter the cognitive impairment caused by significant inflammation. CONCLUSIONS: A continuous increase in IL-1ß levels within the hippocampus can lead to cognitive impairment by enhancing TRPM2 levels caused by severe inflammation.

Novel NIR fluorescent probe for hypochlorite ion detection in biological systems.

This study presents the synthesis and application of a novel fluorescent probe, NR-ClO, for the detection of hypochlorite ion (ClO-) in biological systems. The probe was synthesized through a nucleophilic substitution reaction between Nile red and dimethylcarbamothioic chloride. The synthesized probe had high sensitivity and selectivity towards ClO-, with a detection limit of 75 nM and a linear range of 0.1-200 µM. The probe's efficacy was validated through in vitro studies using HepG2 cells and in vivo experiments using a mouse model of rheumatoid arthritis. The findings demonstrate that the NR-ClO probe is a promisingly reliable tool for real-time monitoring of ClO- in complex biological environments.

Direct sampling of ultrashort laser pulses using third-harmonic generation with perturbation in ambient air.

We propose a simple and robust all-optical pulse sampling method to characterize the temporal profiles of ultrashort laser pulses. The method is based on a third-harmonic generation (THG) process with perturbation in ambient air, which requires no retrieval algorithm and can be potentially applied to electric field measurement. The method has been successfully used to characterize multi-cycle and few-cycle pulses with a spectral range from 800 nm to 2200 nm. Considering the broad phase-matching bandwidth of THG and extremely low dispersion of air, this method is suitable for ultrashort pulse characterization even for single-cycle pulses in the near- to mid-infrared range. Thus, the method provides a reliable and highly accessible approach for pulse measurement in ultrafast optics research.

Compact and high-reliability fiber-optic open-loop gyroscope enabled by an in-fiber polarizer.

The performance of an open-loop fiber-optic gyroscope is strongly dependent on the optical characteristics of its polarizer. Here we report the implementation of an in-house fabricated 45° tilted-fiber-grating-based polarizer, for the first time on an ultra-fine diameter polarization-maintaining fiber platform in an open-loop fiber-optic gyroscope. This special in-line polarizer is proven to have the merits of high extinction ratio, broad spectrum, bendability, stretchability, temperature insensitivity, and high reliability, all of which make it a perfect match for practical fiber optic gyros that need to be packaged compactly without affecting performance. Our prototype fiber optic gyroscope has a compact volume of only ϕ35 × 20 mm2, achieving a bias instability of less than 0.1 °/h, full temperature bias stability of less than 1 °/h, and scale factor linearity of better than 200 ppm. This compact and high-performance fiber gyro enabled by TFG polarizer may promise great potential in the field of automation and control.

All-optical sampling of ultrashort laser pulses based on perturbed transient grating.

We propose and demonstrate an all-optical pulse sampling technique based on the transient grating (TG) procedure with perturbation, which provides a simple and robust manner to characterize an ultrashort laser pulse without employing a retrieval algorithm. In our approach, a two-orders weaker perturbation pulse perturbs the diffracted pulse from the TG, which is generated by another strong fundamental pulse. The modulation of the diffracted pulse energy directly represents the temporal profile of the perturbation pulse. We have successfully characterized few-cycle and multi-cycle pulses, which is consistent with the results verified by the widely employed frequency-resolved optical gating (FROG) method. Our method provides a potential way to characterize ultrashort laser waveform from the deep-UV to far-infrared region.

A blockade of microRNA-155 signal pathway has a beneficial effect on neural injury after intracerebral haemorrhage via reduction in neuroinflammation and oxidative stress.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have important contributions to multiple pathophysiological processes for cellular response to stress and are considered as promising therapeutic targets with respect to drug development due to their small size, relative ease of delivery, and sequence specificity. Thus, in the current report, we examined the effects of inhibiting miRNA-155 (miR-155) on the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (PICs), oxidative stress products as well as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the parietal cortex and hippocampus of rats following intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH). Real time PCR was used to examine the levels of miR-155 in the parietal cortex and hippocampus of rats; and ELISA to measure IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF-α, oxidative 8-iso PGF2α and 8-OHdG, and VEGF. Additionally, modified neurological Severity Score (mNSS) was examined to indicate neurological function in animals. In results, with induction of ICH, the levels of miR-155 were amplified in the parietal cortex and hippocampus and this was accompanied with increases of IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNF-α; and 8-iso PGF2α and 8-OHdG. Intracerebroventricular infusion of miR-155 inhibitor attenuated the elevation of PICs and amplification of oxidative stress products. Interestingly, miR-155 inhibitor promoted VEGF levels. Furthermore, inhibition of miR-155 led to improvement of neurological deficits in ICH rats. In conclusion, miR-155 signal in the parietal cortex and hippocampus is engaged in the processes of neural injury during ICH and blocking central miR-155 pathway plays a beneficial role in regulating neurological function via reduction in PICs and products of oxidative stress; and enhancement of VEGF. This has implications to target miR-155 and its downstream signal pathway for neuronal dysfunction and vulnerability related to ICH.

Safety, Pharmacokinetics, and Pharmacodynamics of a Single Bolus of the γ-aminobutyric Acid (GABA) Receptor Potentiator HSK3486 in Healthy Chinese Elderly and Non-elderly.

Background: The present clinical trial investigated the potential influences of dosage and age on the pharmacokinetic properties and safety profile of HSK3486, and whether any adjustment in dosing regimen is necessary in elderly patients. Methods: Twenty-four elderly participants (65-73 years) were apportioned to three equal cohorts to receive a single IV bolus of 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 mg/kg HSK3486, respectively. An additional control group comprised eight non-elderly participants (21-44 years), who each received a single IV bolus dose of 0.4 mg/kg. Safety was assessed throughout the study, and the clinical effects were assessed based on modified observer's assessment of alertness/sedation and bispectral index (BIS) monitor. Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated. Results: The rates of drug-related adverse reactions among the elderly groups were a little higher than that of the non-elderly, and were slightly higher in the elderly receiving 0.4 mg/kg compared with the elderly given lower doses. The pharmacokinetic characteristics of 0.4 mg/kg HSK3486 in the elderly and non-elderly were comparable. The time to recovery was similar in elderly 0.3 mg/kg, elderly 0.4 mg/kg and non-elderly 0.4 mg/kg groups. In the elderly 0.2 mg/kg group, the time to loss of consciousness was a little longer, and the time to recovery was shorter, relative to the other three groups. Conclusions: Administration of 0.3 mg/kg to the elderly and 0.4 mg/kg to the non-elderly were similarly efficacious. A dose of HSK3486 of 0.3 mg/kg may be chosen for clinical use in elderly patients.

Dispersed pulses created by aperiodic binary spectral phase jump and applications for pulse shaping.

Inspired by pulse-pair generation with periodic phase jump, the generation of dispersed pulses with aperiodic binary spectral phase jump (ABSPJ) is proposed and theoretically investigated. It is presented by the numerical simulations that two dispersed pulses can be generated by ABSPJ of π. The dispersion of one pulse is opposite to the other and can be tuned freely with engineering of the phase jump. The generated dispersed pulse-pair is potentially of great interest for various applications, such as two-dimensional spectroscopy, double pulses laser-wakefield acceleration (LWFA) and chirp management in dual-chirped optical parametric amplification (DC-OPA) system to generate TW single-cycle mid-infrared (MIR) pulses. Furthermore, a pulse shaper configured as a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) located at the Fourier plane of a 4-f dispersion-free compressor is suggested and the implementation in a high repetition optical parametric chirped pulse amplification (OPCPA) system with picosecond pump has been numerically studied. The simulations showed that MEMS of 900 pixels is enough to pre-compensate TOD of 200000 fs3 for a pulse of 20 fs. Because pixel with only two piston-levels is necessary for such MEMS, the pulse shaper is expected to be compact and reliable.

Inhibition of microRNA-155 Reduces Neuropathic Pain During Chemotherapeutic Bortezomib via Engagement of Neuroinflammation.

As a chemotherapeutic agent, bortezomib (BTZ) is used for the treatment of multiple myeloma with adverse effect of painful peripheral neuropathy. Our current study was to determine the inhibitory effects of blocking microRNA-155 (miR-155) signal on BTZ-induced neuropathic pain and the underlying mechanisms. We employed real time RT-PCR and western blot analysis to examine the miR-155 and expression of pro-inflammatory tumor necrosis factor-α receptor (TNFR1) in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. Its downstream signals p38-MAPK and JNK and transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) were also determined. Mechanical pain and cold sensitivity were assessed by behavioral test. In result, inhibition of miR-155 significantly attenuated mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia in BTZ rats, which was accompanied with decreasing expression of TNFR1, p38-MAPK, JNK, and TRPA1. In contrast, miRNA-155 mimics amplified TNFR1-TRPA1 pathway and augmented mechanical pain and cold sensitivity. In addition, mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity induced by miRNA-155 mimics were attenuated after blocking TNFR1, p38-MAPK, JNK, and TRPA1. Overall, we show the key role of miR-155 in modifying BTZ-induced neuropathic pain through TNFR1-TRPA1 pathway, suggesting that miR-155 is a potential target in preventing neuropathic pain development during intervention of BTZ.

Anesthetic effect of propofol combined with remifentanil or sevoflurane anesthesia on patients undergoing radical gastrectomy.

Anesthetic effect of propofol combined with remifentanil or sevoflurane intravenous anesthesia on patients undergoing radical gastrectomy was evaluated. The clinical data of 516 cancer patients who received radical gastrectomy in the First Bethune Hospital of Jilin University between January 2011 and December 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. In total 203 patients with propofol combined with remifentanil anesthesia were used as group A, and 313 patients with propofol combined with sevoflurane anesthesia as group B. The changes of respiration and circulation were analyzed at the time of entering the operating room (t0), the beginning of the operation (t1), 10 min after the beginning of the operation (t2) and 10 min after operation (t3). The onset time of anesthesia, the total time of operation, the time of waking up after operation and the time of leaving the operating room were analyzed. The effects of sedation and amnesia were evaluated, and the occurrence of adverse reactions were recorded. The inhibition of circulation and respiration was more obvious at t1 and t2 in group A when compared to group B (P<0.05), and the respiration and circulation in group B was more stable than that in group A (P<0.001). Patients' sedation scores in group A were lower than those in group B, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05); there were 56 (27.59%) patients and 30 (9.58%) patients with postoperative pain in group A and group B, respectively (P<0.001). The application of propofol combined with sevoflurane in the anesthesia of patients undergoing radical gastrectomy can make the respiration and circulation more stable, and reduce the incidence of postoperative pain and adverse reactions.

Excessively tilted fiber grating based Fe3O4 saturable absorber for passively mode-locked fiber laser.

A novel approach to saturable absorber (SA) formation is presented by taking advantage of the mode coupling property of excessively tilted fiber grating (Ex-TFG). Stable mode-locked operation can be conveniently achieved based on the interaction between Ex-TFG coupled light and deposited ferroferric-oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles. The central wavelength, bandwidth and single pulse duration of the output are 1595 nm, 4.05 nm, and 912 fs, respectively. The fiber laser exhibits good long-term stability with signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 67 dB. For the first time, to the best of our knowledge, Ex-TFG based Fe3O4 SA for mode-locked fiber laser is demonstrated.

High temperature resistant ultra-short DBR Yb-doped fiber laser.

We present a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) Yb-doped fiber laser based on a pair of type IA fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs). The high temperature resistant gratings are fabricated in high absorption hydrogen loaded Yb-doped silica fiber by use of a 244 nm argon laser and phase mask method. The DBR laser, with only 10 mm cavity length, exhibits high signal-noise ratio (SNR) of over 50 dB and can survive at 450°C in a long term with stable output power and central wavelength. Besides, the laser has a relatively low temperature sensitivity of 8.9 pm/°C, which contributes to cross-sensitization of stress and temperature.

Low-cost temperature- and strain-insensitive twist sensor based on a hybrid fiber grating structure.

We proposed and experimentally demonstrated a temperature- and strain-insensitive twist sensor based on a hybrid fiber grating structure, in which the hybrid grating structure is constructed with a 45°-tilted fiber grating and a chirped fiber Bragg grating UV-inscribed in a single-mode fiber in series. The sensing performance has been evaluated by experimental and numerical analyses, which are in good consistency. The experimental results show that the hybrid-grating-structure-based twist sensor has a maximum twist sensitivity up to 15.037 dB/rad. Moreover, due to the invariability of the fiber birefringence and the state of polarization of the input light, such sensor has intrinsically low temperature and strain sensitivities of 7.86×10-3 dB/°C and 6.7×10-5 dB/µÎµ, corresponding to the maximum twist measurement error resulting from temperature and strain of 5.2×10-4 rad/°C and 4.5×10-6 rad/µÎµ, respectively.

Excessively tilted fiber grating-based vector magnetometer.

A compact optic-fiber vector magnetometer is proposed and experimentally demonstrated, which is based on an excessively tilted fiber grating (Ex-TFG) assistant with the magnetic fluid (MF). Without any complicated processing, the cladding mode resonances of the bare Ex-TFG packaged by the MF show high sensitivity to slight perturbations by the magnetic field. Due to the excellent magneto-optical properties of the MF and the azimuth-dependent refractive index sensitivity of the Ex-TFG, such a magnetometer can achieve the magnetic field intensity sensitivity of 2.45 nm/mT and the orientation sensitivity of 0.41 nm/deg. In addition, based on the spectral interrogation, the detection limit of the magnetic field intensity could reach around 8.1 µT at the minimum wavelength measurement accuracy of 0.02 nm.

Compact low-noise passively mode-locked Er-doped femtosecond all-fiber laser with 2.68 GHz fundamental repetition rate.

A passively mode-locked Er-doped fiber laser with a fundamental repetition rate of 2.68 GHz is reported. The oscillator operating at a central wavelength of 1558.35 nm has a compact, robust structure and low-noise performance. The timing jitter integrated from 30 MHz down to 300 Hz is 82.5 fs, and the timing jitter performance is analyzed based on the theory model. The amplification and compression of the high repetition rate optical pulses are also investigated. After a three-stage amplifier, the average power is boosted to 430 mW. Meanwhile, based on the nonlinear self-phase modulation effect, the spectral bandwidth is broadened from 7.56 to 19.2 nm, and the corresponding pulse width is compressed to 244 fs.

Neuroinflammation and central PI3K/Akt/mTOR signal pathway contribute to bone cancer pain.

BACKGROUND: Pain is one of the most common and distressing symptoms suffered by patients with progression of cancer; however, the mechanisms responsible for hyperalgesia are not well understood. Since the midbrain periaqueductal gray is an important component of the descending inhibitory pathway controlling on central pain transmission, in this study, we examined the role for pro-inflammatory cytokines of the periaqueductal gray in regulating mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia evoked by bone cancer via phosphatidylinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signals. METHODS: Breast sarcocarcinoma Walker 256 cells were implanted into the tibia bone cavity of rats to induce mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia. Western blot analysis and ELISA were used to examine PI3K/protein kinase B (Akt)/mTOR and pro-inflammatory cytokine receptors and the levels of interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). RESULTS: Protein expression levels of p-PI3K/p-Akt/p-mTOR were amplified in the periaqueductal gray of bone cancer rats, and blocking PI3K-mTOR pathways in the periaqueductal gray attenuated hyperalgesia responses. In addition, IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α were elevated in the periaqueductal gray of bone cancer rats, and expression of their respective receptors (namely, IL-1R, IL-6R, and tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) subtype TNFR1) was upregulated. Inhibition of IL-1R, IL-6R, and TNFR1 alleviated mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia in bone cancer rats, accompanied with downregulated PI3K-mTOR. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that upregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokine signal in the periaqueductal gray of cancer rats amplifies PI3K-mTOR signal in this brain region and alters the descending pathways in regulating pain transmission, and this thereby contributes to the development of bone cancer-induced pain.

MicroRNA-485 Modulates the TGF-ß/ Smads Signaling Pathway in Chronic Asthmatic Mice by Targeting Smurf2.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Chronic respiratory conditions continue to plague millions of people worldwide. We aimed to elucidate the detailed mechanisms of microRNA-485 (miR-485) in airway smooth muscle cell (ASMC) proliferation and apoptosis in chronic asthmatic mice. METHODS: A mouse model of chronic asthma was established. Ovalbumin was used to induce chronic asthma in the mice. The levels of transforming growth factor ß (TGF-ß), interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, IL-13 and IL-17 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in mice were measured by enzyme-linked immunoassays (ELISAs). ASMCs were transfected with miR-485 mimic, miR-485 inhibitor and siRNA-Smurf2. The reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and western blot analyses were applied to detect the mRNA and protein levels of Smurf2, α-SMA, TGF-ß1 and decapentaplegic homolog (Smads). The MTT assay was utilized for cell proliferation, while flow cytometry was conducted to assess cell cycle distribution and apoptosis. RESULTS: Lower expression of miR-485 and higher expression levels of TGF-ß1, IL-4, IL-5, IL-13 and IL-17 were detected in mice with chronic asthma. Smurf2 was identified as the target gene of miR-485. Upregulation of miR-485 mimic and downregulation of Smurf2 decreased expression levels of Smurf2, α-SMA, TGF-ß1 and Smad3, inhibited cell proliferation and increased apoptosis, while contrary results were observed in ASMCs transfected with miR-485 inhibitor. CONCLUSION: Overexpressed miR-485 inhibits cell proliferation and promotes apoptosis of ASMCs through the Smurf2-mediated TGF-ß/Smads signaling pathway in mice with chronic asthma.

Multiwavelength Er-doped fiber laser using an all-fiber Lyot filter.

We experimentally demonstrated a multiwavelength Er-doped fiber ring laser system by employing an all-fiber Lyot filter (AFLF) and a highly nonlinear fiber (HNLF). The AFLF was employed as a polarizing filter to generate a nonlinear polarization rotation effect and the highly dense and narrow bandwidth comb-like channels. A 1-km-long HNLF was used to enhance the nonlinearity of the laser cavity and suppress the mode competition for multiwavelength operation. In the experiment, 97 laser output channels within a 3 dB bandwidth simultaneously were excited under 224 mW pump power. The power fluctuation of lasing channels was less than 0.182 dB, and the wavelength shift was less than 0.04 nm in 100 min, after treating the AFLF in a thermostatic ice bath. Meanwhile, the output laser was highly polarized with a degree of polarization up to 99.9%.

Ultrafast soliton and stretched-pulse switchable mode-locked fiber laser with hybrid structure of multimode fiber based saturable absorber.

We demonstrate an all-fiber mode locked laser based on hybrid structure of multimode fiber saturable absorber (SA) that can realize both conventional soliton and stretched-pulse states. Stable 16.44 MHz conventional soliton pulses are achieved by injecting 80 mW threshold pump power. By increasing the incident pump power to 420 mW, the laser evolves from soliton operation into stretched-pulse mode locking state. 310 fs stretched-pulse are obtained with the same repetition rate as the soliton pulses. The center wavelength and its 3 dB spectrum bandwidth are 1603 nm and 14.2 nm, respectively. For the first time, we experimentally confirm transition between conventional soliton and stretched-pulse in 1.5 µm mode-locked fiber laser by introducing multimode optical fiber SA. Moreover, the maximum single pulse energy of nearly 1 nJ is achieved. Such all-fiber mode-locked lasers based on hybrid structure of multimode fiber are attractive for practical applications without damage and the limitation of life time.