Corneal endothelial cells and acoustic cavitation in phacoemulsification

Postoperative complications of phacoemulsification,such as corneal edema caused by human corneal endothelial cell(CEC)injury,are still a matter of concern.Although several factors are known to cause CEC damage,the influence of ultrasound on the formation of free radicals during surgery should be considered.Ultrasound in aqueous humor induces cavitation and promotes the formation of hydroxyl radicals or reactive oxygen species(ROS).ROS-induced apoptosis and autophagy in phacoemulsification have been suggested to significantly promote CEC injury.CEC cannot regenerate after injury,and measures must be taken to prevent the loss of CEC after phacoemulsification or other CEC injuries.Antioxidants can reduce the oxidative stress injury of CEC during phacoemulsification.Evidence from rabbit eye studies shows that ascorbic acid infusion during operation or local application of ascorbic acid during phacoemulsification has a protective effect by scavenging free radicals or reducing oxidative stress.Both in experiments and clinical practice,hydrogen dissolved in the irrigating solution can also prevent CEC damage during phacoemulsification surgery.Astaxanthin(AST)can inhibit oxidative damage,thereby protecting different cells from most pathological conditions,such as myocardial cells,luteinized granulosa cells of the ovary,umbilical vascular endothelial cells,and human retina pigment epithelium cell line(ARPE-19).However,existing research has not focused on the application of AST to prevent oxidative stress during phacoemulsification,and the related mechanisms need to be studied.The Rho related helical coil kinase inhibitor Y-27632 can inhibit CEC apoptosis after phacoemulsification.Rigorous experiments are required to confirm whether its effect is realized through improving the ROS clearance ability of CEC.

Research on in-situ condition preserved coring and testing systems

As shallow resources are increasingly depleted,the mechanics'theory and testing technology of deep insitu rock has become urgent.Traditional coring technologies obtain rock samples without retaining the in-situ environmental conditions,leading to distortion of the measured parameters.Herein,a coring and testing systems retaining in-situ geological conditions is presented:the coring system that obtains in-situ rock samples,and the transfer and testing system that stores and analyzes the rocks under a reconstructed environment.The ICP-Coring system mainly consists of the pressure controller,active insulated core reactor and insulation layer and sealing film.The ultimate bearing strength of 100 MPa for pressurepreservation,temperature control accuracy of 0.97%for temperature-retained are realized.CH_(4)and CO permeability of the optimized sealing film are as low as 3.85 and 0.33 ppm/min.The average tensile elongation of the film is 152.4%and the light transmittance is reduced to 0%.Additionally,the pressure and steady-state temperature accuracy for reconstructing the in-situ environment of transfer and storage system up to 1%and±0.2 is achieved.The error recorded of the noncontact sensor ring made of lowdensity polymer is less than 6%than that of the contact test.The system can provide technical support for the deep in-situ rock mechanics research,improving deep resource acquisition capabilities and further clarifying deep-earth processes.

Effect of mixing rate and temperature on primary Si phase of hypereutectic Al-20Si alloy during control ed diffusion solidification(CDS) process

Controlled Diffusion Solidification(CDS) is a promising process relied on mixing two liquid alloys of precisely controlled chemistry and temperature in order to produce a predetermined alloy composition. In this study, the CDS was employed to prepare hypereutectic Al-20%Si(mass fraction) alloy using Al-30%Si and pure Al of different temperatures. The mixing rate was controlled using three small crucibles with a hole of different diameters in their bottom. The effect of mixing rate and temperature on the microstructure of the primary Si-phase during the mixing of molten Al and Al-30%Si was studied. The results showed that when the diameter of the small crucible bottom hole is 16 mm, a higher mass mixing rate 0.217 kg·s-1 would results in a lower stream velocity 0.414 m·s-1. Conversely a lower mass mixing rate 0.114 kg·s-1(the diameter of the small crucible bottom hole is 8 mm) would result in a higher fluid stream velocity 0.879 m·s-1. A lower mass mixing rate would be better to refine the primary Si than a higher mass mixing rate. Meanwhile, the morphology and distribution of primary Si could also be improved. Especially, when Al-30%Si alloy at 820 °C was mixed with pure Al at 670 °C in the case of a mass mixing rate of 0.114 kg·s-1 and a pouring temperature of 680 °C, the average size of the primary Si phase would be only 18.2 μm. Its morphology would mostly be octahedral and the primary Si would distribute uniformly in the matrix microstructure. The lower mass mixing rate(0.114 kg·s-1) will enhance the broken tendency of Al-30%Si steam and the mixing agitation of resultant melt, so the primary Si phase can be better refined.

Microstructural evaluation and mechanical properties of 7075 aluminum alloy prepared by controlled diffusion solidification

In the present work, 7075 aluminum alloy(Al-Zn-Mg-Cu) was produced by both conventional casting(CC) and controlled diffusion solidification(CDS) methods. Each sample was subjected to different heat-treatment conditions: as-cast, T4, and T6;and their microstructural and mechanical properties were investigated by optical microscopy(OM), scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and X-ray diffractometry(XRD). It was found that CDS promoted the formation of non-dendritic primary α-Al phase and reduced shrinkage porosity, thus resulting in improved mechanical properties. In addition, the eutectic phase of the CDS samples mainly consisted of T(Al-ZnMg-Cu) phase, which manifested a well-developed lamellar eutectic structure. However, in the CC samples, the T(Al-Zn-Mg-Cu) phase was composed of rod-like eutectics. Moreover, the θ(Al2 Cu) eutectic contents in the CC samples were greater than those in the CDS samples. Each element in the CC samples had an obvious change in the grain boundary, whereas the change in element content in the CDS samples was gradual. Therefore, the non-dendritic morphology of the primary phase and the presence of rod-like eutectics in the matrix of the CDS samples led to enhanced tensile strength and elongation under different heat treatment conditions.

A Chinese patient with relapsed and refractory Hodgkin lymphoma treated with brentuximab vedotin

At present,approximately 20%of Hodgkin lymphomas(HL)are relapsed and refractory,and therapeutic methods including chemotherapy,radiotherapy,and even stem cell transplantation are unsatisfactory.Brentuximab vedotin,composed of CD30 antibody and a chemotherapeutic agent,is a new targeted drug that eradicates tumor cells by binding to the CD30 antigen on their surface.In clinical trials,the response rate and complete remission rate of this drug were 73%and 40%,respectively,for relapsed and refractory HL.Here we report a case of CD30-positive relapsed and refractory HL that was treated with brentuximab.Before the treatment with brentuximab,the patient underwent chemotherapy,radiotherapy,and autologous stem cell transplantation.However,the disease continued to progress,affecting multiple organs and prompting symptoms such as persistent fever.After the treatment with brentuximab,the patient′s condition improved.Body temperature returned to normal after 4 days.Lung nodules were reduced in size and number after a single course of treatment,and PET/CT showed partial remission and complete remission after 3 and 6 courses of treatment,respectively.The entire treatment process progressed smoothly,though the patient experienced some symptoms due to chemotherapy,including peripheral neuritis of the limbs,irritating dry cough,and mild increase in aminotransferase.No serious adverse effects were observed.The current general condition of the patient is good;the continuous complete remission has amounted to 6 months.

A Meta-analysis on the clinical efficacy and safety of optic capture in pediatric cataract surgery

AIM： To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of optic capture in pediatric cataract surgery.·METHODS： Searches of peer-reviewed literature were conducted in Pub Med, Embase and the Cochrane Library. The search terms were ＂optic capture＂ and ＂cataract＂. The retrieval period ended in December 2014.Relevant randomized controlled trials（RCTs）, case-control studies and cohort studies were included. Meta-analyses were performed. Pooled weighted mean differences and risk ratios with 95% confidence intervals were estimated.· RESULTS： Ten studies involving 282 eyes were included, 5 of which were RCTs involving 194 eyes. The application of optic capture significantly reduced both opacification of the visual axis（RR： 0.12; 95% CI： 0.02 to0.85; P =0.03） and occurrence of geometric decentration（RR： 0.09; 95% CI： 0.02 to 0.46; P =0.004）. But it did not significantly affect best corrected visual acuity（BCVA）（WMD：-0.01; 95% CI：-0.07 to 0.05; P =0.75） and influence the occurrence of posterior synechia（RR： 1.53;95% CI： 0.84 to 2.77; P =0.17）. Deposits in the anterior intraocular lens were significantly increased in the optic capture group early after surgery（RR： 1.40; 95% CI： 1.05 to 1.86; P =0.02） and at the last follow-up（RR： 2.30;95% CI： 1.08 to 4.92; P =0.03）. The quality of the evidence was assessed as high.· CONCLUSION： The application of optic capture significantly reduces opacification of visual axis and occurrence of geometric decentration but do not significantly improve BCVA with notable safety.

Functional decoration on a regenerable bifunctional porous covalent organic framework probe for rapid detection and adsorption of copper ions

Developing fluorescence porous probe for detecting and eliminating Cu^(2+) contamination in water or biosystem is an essential research project that has attracted considerable attention.However,improving the fluorescence detecting efficiency while enhancing the adsorption capacity of the porous probe is of great challenge.Herein,a bifunctional two-dimensional imine-based porous covalent organic framework(TTP-COF)probe was designed and synthesized from 1,3,5-tris(4-aminophenyl)benzene(TAPB)and 2,4,6-Triformylphloroglucinol(TP)ligand.TTP-COF displayed rapid detection of Cu^(2+)(limit of detection(LOD)=10 nmol·L^(−1) while achieving a high adsorption capacity of 214 mg·g^(−1)(pH=6)at room temperature with high reusability(>5 cycles).The key roles and contributions of highπ-conjugate and delocalized electrons in TABP and functional–OH groups in TP were proved.More importantly,the fluorescence quenching mechanism of TTP-COF was studied by density functional theory theoretical calculations,revealing the crucial role of intramolecular hydrogen bonds among C=N and–OH groups and the blocking of the excited state intramolecular proton transfer process in detecting process of Cu^(2+).

细菌纤维素增强的低共熔溶剂导电离子凝胶及柔性传感器

针对目前导电离子凝胶传感材料力学性能不足的问题,以甜菜碱(Betaine)、衣康酸(IA)、丙烯酰胺(AM)和细菌纤维素(BC)为原料,开发了一种具有高拉伸强度的导电离子凝胶,并研究了该凝胶的机械力学和传感性能,探索了其在人体运动监测领域的实际应用.结果表明,由于引入BC,导电离子凝胶获得了较强的拉伸强度(689 kPa).同时,该导电离子凝胶可以在230 ms内监测200%范围内的拉伸变形,且具有很好的透明性,在2 mm厚度下,透射率可达87.64%.将该导电离子凝胶贴合在人体皮肤表面,可监测各种人体运动(如手指,手肘,手腕,膝盖等关节弯曲),在智能穿戴及医疗健康领域具有广阔的应用前景.

Microwave synthesis and enhancement of thermoelectric performance in Hf_(x)Ti_(1-x)NiSn_(0.97)Sb_(0.03)half-Heusler bulks

We obtained TiNiSn-based half-Heusler Hf_(x)Ti_(1-x)NiSn_(0.97)Sb_(0.03)bulks with 85%-96%relative densities via 5-min microwave synthesis and 20-min microwave sintering in sealed vacuum.The phase composition and microstructure of samples were characterized by X-ray diffractometer(XRD)and scanning electron microscopy(SEM).Thermoelectric(TE)properties were measured,i.e.,Seebeck coefficient(S),electrical resistivity(ρ),and thermal conductivity(κ)through Seebeck coefficient/resistance analysis system(S/RAs)and laser flash thermal analyzer(LFT).The results show that the nearly single phase exists after microwave sintering.The grain sizes and the number of grain boundaries decrease with increase in Hf-doping amount due to an increase in point defects.The matrix grains for Hf_(0.1)Ti_(0.9)NiSn_(0.97)Sb_(0.03)are~10μm.The nanoscle pores and precipitates are present as second phases in matrix grain.The real composition for Hf_(0.1)Ti_(0.9)NiSn_(0.97)Sb_(0.03)matrix grain is Hf_(3.51)Ti_(28.76)-Ni_(34.76)Sn_(31.55)Sb_(1.43).The variation trends of electrical resistivity,Seebeck coefficient,power factor,and thermal conductivity were analyzed in detail.The maximum figure of merit(ZT)of 0.46 is obtained for Hf_(0.1)Ti_(0.9-)NiSnSn_(0.97)Sb_(0.03)at 723 K.The innovation route exhibits advantages for predation of TE bulks when compared to the conventional methods,especially in terms of efficiency while it still maintains TE performance.

Fabry disease with acute cerebral infarction onset in a young patient

To the Editor:Fabry disease (FD)is a recessive X-linked hereditary disease.The onset age of the disease is in children and adolescents mostly.The average time from the onset of symptoms to the definite diagnosis needs 13.7 years in male patients and 16.3 years in female patients.FD happens rarely and it is easy to cause diagnosis and treatment delay.Here,we report a case of FD in a 27-year-old man who developed clinical symptoms with acute cerebral infarction onset to improve doctors' understanding of FD.

Effects of Cataract Surgery on Endothelium in Transplanted Corneal Grafts： Comparison of Extracapsular Cataract Extraction and Phacoemulsification for Complicated Cataract after Penetrating Keratoplasty

Background： The endothelium should be carefully evaluated when choosing a surgical technique for cataract removal. Therefore, we aimed to study the effects of different cataract surgery techniques on endothelial cell loss in transplanted corneal grafts. Methods： A total of 54 patients who received complicated cataract surgery in post-penetrating keratoplasty （PKP） eyes at the Shandong Eye Institute between February 2001 and June 2014 were included, and clinical records were reviewed. Baseline demographic details, clinical characteristics, endothelial cell density （ECD）, and best-corrected visual acuity （BCVA） were recorded. Wilcoxon rank-sum test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used to test the equality of medians. A regression model was constructed to compare the reduced rate of ECD. Results： Of the 54 eyes included in this study, extracapsular cataract extraction （ECCE） was performed in 34 eyes of 33 patients （ECCE group） whereas phacoemulsification was performed in 20 eyes of 20 patients （phacoemulsification group）. There was no signifcant difference in the median age （P = 0.081） or preoperative ECD （P = 0.585） between the two groups. At 6 months after cataract surgery, ECD in ECCE group was significantly higher than that in phacoemulsification group （P = 0.043）. In addition, the endothelial cell loss rate in ECCE group was significantly lower than that in phacoemulsification group at 2 months （P = 0.018）, 4 months （P 〈 0.001）, and 6 months （P 〈 0.001） after cataract surgery. Endothelial cell loss rate after cataract surgery increased over the 6-month study duration in both ECCE group （P 〈 0.001） and phacoemulsification group （P 〈 0.001）, but phacoemulsification resulted in a greater reduction in ECD than that of ECCE in transplanted corneal grafts （P 〈 0.001）. There was no signifcant difference in postoperative BCVA between the two groups （P = 0.065）. Conclusion： ECCE is more suitable than phacoemulsification in cataract surgery in complicated cataract after PKP.

Masing Behavior and Microstructural Change of Quenched and Tempered High-Strength Steel Under Low Cycle Fatigue

Low cycle fatigue behavior of a quenched and tempered high-strength steel(Q960 E) was studied in the strain amplitude ranging from ± 0.5% to ± 1.2% at room temperature. As a result of fatigue loading, the dislocation structural evolution and fracture mechanism were examined and studied by transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy(SEM). The results showed that this Q960 E steel showed cyclic softening at different strain amplitudes, and the softening tendency was more apparent at strain amplitude of ±(0.6–1.2)% than that at ± 0.5%. The reduction in dislocation density with increasing strain amplitude is responsible for the softening tendency of cyclic stress with the strain amplitude. The material illustrates near-Masing behavior at strain amplitude ranging from ± 0.6% to ± 1.2%. The near-Masing behavior of Q960 E high-strength steel can be the result of stability of martensite lath at different strain amplitudes. Partial transformation from martensite laths to dislocation cells is responsible for the derivation from ideal Masing behavior. In the SEM examination of fracture surfaces, transgranular cracks initiate on the sample surface. Striations can be found during the crack propagation stage.

Effect of δ Phase on Mechanical Properties of GH4169 Alloy at Room Temperature

Tensile tests of GH4169 alloy were performed at room temperature. Different fractions, distributions and shapes of δ phase was prepared by aging treated at 880 ℃, 930 ℃ and 980 ℃ for 5 h or 10 h. The effect of δ phase on the mechanical pro- perties of GH4169 alloy was investigated. The results show that 0.2% yield strength and ultimate tensile strength of GH4169 alloy increase by 61 MPa and 78 MPa respectively when the fraction of δ phase increases from 2.20% to 5.21%. Then, the ultimate tensile strength remains at 1 012 MPa even when the fraction of δ phase reaches 7.56%. The fraction effect of δ phase on the strength improvement of GH4169 alloy is more significant than morphology, and the critical fraction value is 5.21%. In addition, the elongation decreases by 14.1% when the fraction of δ phase increases from 2.20% to 7.56%. Excessive needle or short rod shaped 8 ohase is resoonsible for the reduction of eloneation.

Detection of plasmid-mediated IMP-1 metallo-β-lactamase and quinolone resistance determinants in an ertapenem-resistant Enterobacter cloacae isolate

Objective： To investigate the mechanism of carbapenem resistance and the occurrence ofplasmid-mediated quinolone resistance determinants qnr and aac（6＇）-Ib-cr in a clinical isolate of Enterobacter cloacae. Methods： An ertapenem-resistant E. cloacae ZY106, which was isolated from liquor puris of a female gastric cancer patient in a Chinese hospital, was investigated. Antibiotic susceptibilities were determined by agar dilution method. Conjugation experiments, isoelectric focusing, polymerase chain reaction （PCR）, and DNA sequence analyses of plasmid-mediated carbapenemases and quinolone resistance determinants were preformed to confirm the genotype. Outer membrane proteins （OMPs） were examined by urea-sodium dodecyl sulfate- polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis （Urea-SDS-PAGE）. Results： Minimum inhibitory concentrations （MICs） of imipenem, mer- openem, and ertapenem for ZY 106 were 2, 4, and 16 pg/ml, respectively. Conjugation studies with Escherichia coli resulted in the transfer of significantly reduced carbapenem susceptibility. ZY106 produced IMP-1 metallo-β-lactamase and CTX-M-3 extended-spectrum β-1actamase, and E. coli transconjugant produced IMP-1. Plasrnid-mediated quinolone resistance determinant qnrS1 was detected in ZY106. Transfer of the qnrSl-encoding-plasmid into E. coli by conjugation resulted in intermediate resistance to ciprofloxacin in E. coli transconjugant. Urea-SDS-PAGE analysis of OMPs showed that ZYI06 lacked an OMP of approximately 38 kDa. Conclusion： It is the first IMP-l-producing Enterobacteriaceae in China and the first report of a clinical isolate that harbors both blalMP and qnrS genes as well. The blalMP-1, blaCTX-M-3, and qnrS1 are encoded at three different plasmids. IMP-1 combined with the loss of an OMP possibly resulted in ertapenem resistance and reduced imipenem and mero- penern susceptibility in E. cloacae.

3D T1-weighted black blood sequence at 3.0 Tesla for the diagnosis of cervical artery dissection

Objective:We aimed to investigate the value of threedimensional(3D)T1 volumetric isotropic turbo spin echo acquisition(VISTA)in the diagnosis of cervical artery dissection(CAD).Methods:We prospectively included patients who were suspected as having a CAD within 1 month of onset.For T1 VISTA,the diagnosis of the dissection was based on the presence of intramural high-signal,intimal flap,double lumen and aneurysmal dilation.The final diagnosis of dissection was based on the clinical history,physical examination,and all of the imaging tests.Results:A total of 46 patients were included in this study.The final diagnosis of CAD was made for 21 patients.Diagnosis of dissection was made for 20 of the 21 patients after assessing T1 VISTA.A definitive diagnosis of dissection was not made for 5 patients(including 3 patients with digital subtraction angiography)before the T1 VISTA examination.The sensitivity and specificity for T1 VISTA were 95.2%(95%CI,76.2%to 99.9%)and 100%(95%CI,86.3%to 100%),respectively.The agreement between the two researchers for T1 VISTA for diagnosis of CAD was very good(k=0.91).For patients without acute artery occlusion,all of them had a definite conclusion with or without dissection by T1 VISTA(n=29).However,for 17 patients with acute artery occlusion,the possibility of dissection could not be excluded for 6 of them by T1 VISTA(p=0.001).Conclusions:3D T1 VISTA at 3.0 Tesla was useful in the diagnosis of acute CAD.However,for some patients with total occlusion of the artery without typical imaging features of dissection,the unequivocal distinction between intramural haematoma and intraluminal thrombus may be not adequate by T1 VISTA alone.Future studies should investigate whether a follow-up scan,a contrast-enhanced imaging or an optimal VISTA technique could be useful.

Influence of delta phase precipitation on static recrystallization of cold-rolled Inconel 718 alloy in solid solution treatment

Due to the improvement in fatigue strength of cold-rolled blades,the static recrystallization behavior of cold-rolled Inconel 718 alloy in the solid solution treatment was investigated with the methods of optical microscopy and electron backscattered diffraction.The effect ofδphase precipitation on the static recrystallization process was also analyzed.The results show thatδphase preferentially precipitates comparing to static recrystallization.Affecting by theδphase preferential precipitation process,sub-grain migration is the main nucleation mechanism in the static recrystallization of coldrolled Inconel 718 alloy at 980°C.Meanwhile,strain-induced boundary migration also exists as an aided nucleation mechanism when the rolling reduction is less than 30%.

Xenon-enhanced CT assessment of cerebral blood flow in stroke-in-progress patients with unilateral internal carotid artery or middle cerebral artery stenosis

Carotid or cerebral artery stenosis resulting in low perfusion is a major cause of ischemic stroke.Understanding the unique hemodynamic features in each patient undergoing a stroke-in-progress（SIP） and the correlation between progression and cerebral blood flow（CBF） status would help in the diagnosis and treatment of individual patients.We used xenonenhanced CT（Xe-CT） to examine cerebral perfusion in patients with or without SIP（30 patients/group）,recruited from October 2009 to October 2010.Only SIP patients with unilateral stenosis in the internal or middle cerebral artery were recruited.The occurrence of watershed infarction was higher in the SIP group than in the non-SIP group（P ＆lt;0.05）.In the SIP group,larger hypoperfused areas were found around the lesions than in the non-SIP group.In the SIP group,the CBF values in the ipsilateral areas were significantly lower than those in corresponding regions on the contralateral side.CBF values in the contralateral hemisphere were significantly lower in the SIP group than in the non-SIP group.In SIP patients,infarctions were surrounded by larger hypoperfused areas than in non-SIP patients.These larger hypoperfused areas may result in pathological damage to the brain that is responsible for the progression of stroke.

The Biological Significance of Multi-copy Regions and Their Impact on Variant Discovery

Identification of genetic variants via high-throughput sequencing(HTS)technologies has been essential for both fundamental and clinical studies.However,to what extent the genome sequence composition affects variant calling remains unclear.In this study,we identified 63,897 multi-copy sequences(MCSs)with a minimum length of 300 bp,each of which occurs at least twice in the human genome.The 151,749 genomic loci(multi-copy regions,or MCRs)harboring these MCSs account for 1.98% of the genome and are distributed unevenly across chromosomes.MCRs containing the same MCS tend to be located on the same chromosome.Gene Ontology(GO)analyses revealed that 3800 genes whose UTRs or exons overlap with MCRs are enriched for Golgirelated cellular component terms and various enzymatic activities in the GO biological function category.MCRs are also enriched for loci that are sensitive to neocarzinostatin-induced double-strand breaks.Moreover,genetic variants discovered by genome-wide association studies and recorded in dbSNP are significantly underrepresented in MCRs.Using simulated HTS datasets,we show that false variant discovery rates are significantly higher in MCRs than in other genomic regions.These results suggest that extra caution must be taken when identifying genetic variants in the MCRs via HTS technologies.