The largest CPIES array in the marginal sea:abundant dynamics in the northeast South China Sea

The South China Sea(SCS)is a marginal sea connecting the Pacific and Indian oceans and has gained much attention in recent decades.The dynamics in the northeast SCS are considerably influenced by topography,monsoons,tropical cyclones,the Kuroshio intrusion,and water exchange through the Luzon Strait(LS).

Advances in the treatment of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment

The pathogenesis of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment depends on three factors, namely, retinal rupture, vitreous liquefaction and traction causing the retina to separate from the pigment epithelium, among which retinal rupture is the most important. Retinopathy is caused by a gap between the neurosensory retina and the retinal pigment epithelium, which severely damages the visual function of the patient. Therefore, early clinical discovery, prevention and selection of an appropriate treatment are important. This article reviews progress in the treatment of retinal detachment.

The rock breaking and ROP increase mechanisms for single-tooth torsional impact cutting using DEM

Torsional impact drilling is a new technology which has the advantages of high rock-breaking efficiency and a high rate of penetration(ROP).So far,there is no in-depth understanding of the rock-breaking mechanism for the ROP increase from torsional impact tools.Therefore,it has practical engineering significance to study the rock-breaking mechanism of torsional impact.In this paper,discrete element method(DEM)software(PFC2 D)is used to compare granite breaking under the steady and torsional impacting conditions.Meanwhile,the energy consumption to break rock,microscopic crushing process and chip characteristics as well as the relationship among these three factors for granite under different impacting frequencies and amplitudes are discussed.It is found that the average cutting force is smaller in the case of torsional impact cutting(TIC)than that in the case of steady loading.The mechanical specific energy(MSE)and the ratio of brittle energy consumption to total energy are negatively correlated;rock-breaking efficiency is related to the mode of action between the cutting tooth and rock.Furthermore,the ROP increase mechanism of torsional impact drilling technology is that the ratio of brittle energy consumption under the TIC condition is larger than that under a steady load;the degree of repeated fragmentation of rock chips under the TIC condition is lower than that under the steady load,and the TIC load promotes the formation of a transverse cracking network near the free surface and inhibits the formation of a deep longitudinal cracking network.

Diagnosis and treatment of myopic traction maculopathy

In recent years, the broad application of optical coherence tomography and vitrectomy, combined with research efforts in maculopathy in high myopia have provided many achievements, such as the new classification of myopic traction maculopathy (MTM). Here, we review the latest developments in the diagnosis and treatment of MTM, including its conception, clinical characteristics, pathogenesis, clinical stages, and the options for surgical treatment.

Recent progress in diamond-based MOSFETs

Recent developments in the use of diamond materials as metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) are in- troduced in this article, including an analysis of the advantages of the device owing to the unique physical properties of diamond materials, such as their high-temperature and negative electron affinity characteristics. Recent research progress by domestic and international research groups on performance improvement of hydrogen-terminated and oxygen-terminated diamond-based MOSFETs is also summarized. Currently, preparation of large-scale diamond epitaxial layers is still relatively difficult, and improvements and innovations in the device structure are still ongoing. However, the key to improving the performance of diamond-based MOSFET devices lies in improving the mobility of channel carriers. This mainly includes improvements in doping technologies and reductions in interface state density or carrier traps. These will be vital research goals for the future of diamond-based MOSFETs.

Prostate-specific membrane antigen expression in hepatocellular carcinoma,cholangiocarcinoma,and liver cirrhosis

BACKGROUND Primary liver cancer includes three subtypes:Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC),intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma(CCA),and combined hepatocellular carcinoma.Patients with primary liver cancer experienced poor prognosis and high mortality,so early detection of liver cancer and improved management of metastases are both key strategies to reduce the death toll from liver cancer.Prostate-specific membrane antigen(PSMA)expression in the tumor-associated neovasculature of nonprostate malignancies including liver cancer has been reported recently,but conclusive evidence of PSMA expression based on the pathological type of liver cancer remains limited.AIM To study the expression of PSMA in HCC,CCA,and liver cirrhosis.METHODS A total of 446 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded(FFPE)liver tumor and liver cirrhosis tissue samples were obtained retrospectively from the Pathology Department of Tongji Hospital.Immunohistochemistry was used to detect PSMA expression in these 446 FFPE liver biopsy specimens(213 HCC,203 CCA,and 30 liver cirrhosis).The tumor compartment and the associated neovascular endothelium were separately analyzed.PSMA expression was examined by two certified pathologists,and the final results were presented in a 4-point scoring system(0-3 points).Correlation between PSMA expression and clinicopathological information was also assessed.RESULTS PSMA was expressed primarily in the neovascular endothelium associated with tumors.The positive rate of PSMA staining in HCC was significantly higher than that in CCA(86.8%vs 79.3%;P=0.001)but was only 6.6%in liver cirrhosis(P=0.000).HCC cases had more 3-score PSMA staining than CCA had(89/213,41.8%vs 35/203,17.2%;P=0.001).PSMA expression correlated positively with the stage and grade of HCC and CCA.In both liver cancer subtypes,there were more PSMA+cases in stages III–V diseases than in stages I and II.High staining intensity of PSMA was more frequently observed in liver cancers at high grade and advanced stage.There was no significant association of PSMA expression with sex,age,region,α-fetoprotein,hepatitis B surface antigen,or tumor size in both tumor subtypes.CONCLUSION Neovascular PSMA may be a promising marker to differentiate HCC from liver cirrhosis and a prognostic marker for anti-tumor angiogenesis therapy for HCC.

Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment associated with massive spontaneous suprachoroidal hemorrhage and prognosis of pars plana vitrectomy

AIM:To describe the clinical characters of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment(RRD) associated with massive spontaneous suprachoroidal hemorrhage(SSCH). To evaluate optimal timing and prognosis of pars plana vitrectomy.METHODS:A retrospective review of 6 cases(6 eyes)of RRD and massive SSCH among 3772 cases of RRD was conducted. All of 6 patients were treated with twenty-gauge vitrectomy, suprachoroidal blood drainage,phacoemulsification(PHACO) or lensectomy and silicon oil tamponade. The clinical characters, intraoperative findings and treatment outcomes were reported.RESULTS:In the 6 affected eyes of 6 patients(3 men and 3 women; mean age, 53.83y; range 34-61y),preoperative visual acuity ranged from faint light perception(LP) to counting finger(CF). The average interventional duration from visual decreased to surgery was 12.8 d(range 9-15d). All eyes were associated with high myopia and the mean ocular length was 30.32 mm(range 28.14-32.32 mm). Choroidal hemorrhage were successfully drained in the operation of all 6 eyes.Intraoperative findings showed there were multiple retinal breaks in all 6 eyes and in 4 eyes breaks were along supratemporal and/or infratemporal retinal vascular arcade, especially in the edge of chorioretinal atrophy areas. These patients were followed up from 6 to 34mo(Mean, 23.5mo). The best-corrected visual acuity after surgery varied from CF to 20/100, with improvement in 5eyes(83.33%) and no change in 1 eye(16.67%). Ocular hypertension ocurred in 1 eye(16.67%), which wassuccessfully treated by silicon oil removal combined with trabeculectomy. In 4 eyes, tractional retinal detachment caused by proliferative vitreoretinopathy(PVR) appeared and a secondary surgery of pre-retinal membrane peeling and silicon oil retained were performed. In 4eyes, silicon oil cannot be removed. The initial and final reattachment rates were 33.33% and 66.67%, respectively.CONCLUSION:RRD associated with massive SSCH is an extremely rare event. The most common risk factor is long axial length. Vitrectomy and choroidal blood drainage can effectively remove suprachoroidal hemorrhage and promote retinal reattachment in these eyes. However, silicon oil could not be removed in most eyes and final visual acuities are generally poor.

Assessment of intraocular pressure measured by Reichert Ocular Response Analyzer,Goldmann Applanation Tonometry,and Dynamic Contour Tonometry in healthy individuals

AIM: To investigate the accuracy of intraocular pressure (IOP) as measured by a Reichert Ocular Response Analyzer (ORA), as well as the relationship between central corneal thickness (CCT) and IOP as measured by ORA, Goldmann applanation tonometry (GAD, and dynamic contour tonometry (DCT). METHODS: A total of 158 healthy individuals (296 eyes) were chosen randomly for measurement of IOP. After CCT was measured using A-ultrasound (A-US), IOP was measured by ORA, GAT, and DCT devices in a randomized order. The IOP values acquired using each of the three tonometries were compared, and the relationship between CCT and IOP values were analyzed separately. Two IOP values, Goldmann-correlated IOP value (IOPg) and corneal-compensated intraocular pressure (IOPcc), were got using ORA. Three groups were defined according to CCT: 1) thin cornea (CCT<520 mu m); 2) normal-thickness cornea (CCT: 520-580 mu m); and 3), thick cornea (CCT>580 mu m) groups. RESULTS: In normal subjects, IOP measurements were 14.95 2.99mmHg with ORA (IOPg), 15.21+/- 2.77mmHg with ORA(IOPcc),1522+/- 2.77mmHg with GAT,and 15.49+/- 2.56mmHg with DCT. Mean differences were 0.01+/- 2.29mmHg between IOPcc and GAT (P >0.05) and 0.28+/- 2.20mmHg between IOPcc and DC (P >0.05). There was a greater correlation between IOPcc and DCT (r =0.946, P =0.000) than that between IOPcc and GAT (r=0.845, P=0.000). DCT had a significant correlation with GAT (r=0.854, P=0.000). GAT was moderately correlated with CCT (r=0.296, P<0.001), while IOPcc showed a weak but significant correlation with CCT (r =0.155, P =0.007). There was a strong negative correlation between CCT and the difference between IOPcc and GAT (r=-0.803, P=0.000), with every 10 m increase in CCT resulting in an increase in this difference of 0.35mmHg. The thick cornea group (CCT>580 mu m) showed the least significant correlation between IOPcc and GAT (r=0.859, 0.000); while the thin cornea group (CCT< 520 mu m) had the most significant correlation between IOPcc and GAT (r= 0.926, P =0.000). The correlated differences between IOPcc and DCT were not significant in any of the three groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Measurement of IOP by ORA has high repeatability and is largely consistent with GAT measurements. Moreover, the ORA measurements are affected only to a small extent by CCT, and are likely to be much closer to the real IOP value than GAT.

Micro-macro fracture mechanism of heterogeneous granite in percussive drilling

The conventional rotary rock breaking method faces a technical bottleneck in improving the rate of penetration(ROP)in deep hard formations.Percussive drilling is the most potential approach to increase rock-breaking efficiency and ROP.However,the rock-breaking mechanism of percussive drilling is still unclear enough,especially the micro-fracture mechanism of rock under confining pressure(under lateral pressure and hydraulic pressure).In this paper,the impact rock breaking experiments by four kinds of Polycrystalline Diamond Compact(PDC)cutters are carried out using a drop-weight impact testing machine and an acoustic emission(AE)recording system,the influence of parameters such as cutter shape,rake angle,and impact energy on rock-breaking are systematically analyzed.This study includes a numerical simulation to examine the process of crack initiation,propagation,and cuttings formation during the impact process with the consideration of confining pressure.The results show the conicalshaped cutter is the most aggressive with high breaking efficiency.The penetration depth of the cutter is mainly influenced by the impact energy and cutter shape than the rake angle of the cutter.There exists critical impact energy makes the rock breaking efficiency the highest.The critical impact energy is about 40 J when using the conical-shaped cutter with a rake angle of 15°.The rock mainly failed in tensile mode,and the inter-grain crack is the main crack.Hydraulic pressure can inhibit the formation of horizontal cracks,while lateral pressure can inhibit the formation of vertical cracks and reduce the proportion of tensile cracks.The research results can provide some reference and basis for improving the rock-breaking efficiency in deep hard formations.

Real-Time Characterization of Fibrinogen Interaction with Modified Titanium Dioxide Film by Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation

The adsorption of fibrinogen can be used as a quick indicator of surface haemocompatibility because of its prominent role in coagulation and platelet adhesion. In this work the molecular interaction between fibrinogen and a modified titanium oxide surface/platelet has been studied by quartz crystal microbalanee with dissipation （QCM-D） in situ. In order to further characterize the conformation of adsorbed fibrinogen, αC and γ-chain antibody were used to check the orientation and denaturation of fibrinogen on solid surface. QCM-D investiga- tions revealed the fibrinogen have the trend to adsorb on hydropllilic surface in a side-on orientation by positively charged αC domains, which would reduce the exposure of platelet bonding site on γ chain and enable less platelet adhesion and be activated. These obser- vations suggest that certain conformations of adsorbed fibrinogen are less platelet adhesive than others, which opens a possibility for creating a non-platelet adhesive substrates.

Generation and propagation of 21-day bottom pressure variability driven by wind stress curl in the East China Sea

Between June 2015 and June 2017,two pressure-recording inverted echo sounders(PIESs)and five current and pressure-recording inverted echo sounders(CPIESs)deployed along a section across the Kerama Gap acquired a dataset of ocean bottom pressure records in which there was significant 21-day variability(Pbot21).The Pbot21,which was particularly strong from July-December 2016,was coherent with wind stress curl(WSC)on the continental shelf of the East China Sea(ECS)with a squared coherence of 0.65 for a 3-day time lag.A barotropic ocean model demonstrated the generation,propagation,and dissipation of Pbot21.The modeled results show that the Pbot21 driven by coastal ocean WSC in the ECS propagated toward the Ryukyu Island Chain(RIC),while deep ocean WSC could not induce such variability.On the continental shelf,the Pbot21 was generated nearly synchronously with the WSC from the coastline to the southeast but dissipated within a few days due to the effect of bottom friction.The detection of Pbot21 by the moored array was dependent on the 21-day WSC patterns on the continental shelf.The Pbot21 driven southeast of the Changjiang Estuary by the WSC was detected while the Pbot21generated northeast of the Changjiang Estuary was not.

Clinical observations of acute onset of myopic optic neuropathy in a real-world setting

AIM: To describe the clinical features of acute myopic onset of optic neuropathy and observe the effects of retrobulbar and systemic glucocorticoid therapy in a realworld setting.METHODS: A retrospective observational case series included 18 patients with a clinical diagnosis of acute onset of myopic optic neuropathy in a real-world setting. While the patients were using retrobulbar and systemic glucocorticoid therapy, various imaging examination data were analysed, and the clinical features of myopic optic neuropathy were summarized for 6 mo to 2 y. RESULTS: The included group of patients with acute onset of myopic optic neuropathy consisted mostly of females(n=11). The visual field(VF) showed abnormalities in bilateral eyes, including the spread of physiological blind spots, central and paracentral dark spots, and centripetal peripheral VF reduction;but central vision with no subjective changes. The visual evoked potential(VEP) was abnormal in all eyes with vision loss. The best corrected visual acuity(BCVA) was improved from 1.04±0.63 to 0.47±0.57(log MAR) af ter glucocor ticoid treatment(P<0.05). In patients with a short course(within 1 wk), recovery was fast and achieved the same BCVA as recorded before the onset within 6 d. However, in patients with the long course(1 to 2 wk), recovery was slow and did not achieve the BCVA recorded before the onset within 10 d. The changes of intraocular pressure(IOP) were not obvious before and after treatment(18.68±5.30 vs 19.55±5.34 mm Hg, P>0.05). There was no recurrence during long-term followup observation.CONCLUSION: The acute onset of myopic optic neuropathy is characterized by BCVA and VF abnormalities in bilateral eyes. Retrobulbar and systemic glucocorticoid therapy is effective.

Circular RNAs: from biogenesis and function to diseases

Objective:Evidence suggests that various diseases may contribute to the circular RNAs (circRNAs) expression disorder. This review was aimed at looking for appropriate biomarkers for the treatment of diseases.Data sources:The comprehensive search used online literature databases including PubMed of National Center for Biotechnology Information and Web of Science.Study selection:The study selection was based on the following keywords: circRNAs, biogenesis, biologic function, and disease. The time limit for literature retrieval was from the year 1976 to 2019, with language restriction in English. Relevant articles were carefully reviewed, with no exclusions applied to study design and publication type.Results:CircRNAs are one of the critical non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), which are covalently closed continuous loops that do not possess 5' and 3' ends. This makes them resistant to exoribonuclease activity and potentially more stable than their cognate linear transcripts, thus making them ideal candidates for biomarker development. Due to the stable and extensive tissue-specific expression of circRNAs, they can function as microRNA sponges and bind to RNA-binding proteins, regulate transcription and splicing, and translate into proteins to participate in the regulation of physiologic and pathologic processes. Moreover, the expression disorders of circRNAs in diseases, such as neurodegenerative disease, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, make them have potential applications for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases.Conclusions:Changes in circRNA expression profiles related to various diseases, and circRNAs often exhibit low expression in cancer tissues. In addition, circRNAs can be detected in patient’s body fluids to indicate that circRNAs are effective biomarkers for disease diagnosis. These characteristics make circRNAs have potential applications as novel therapeutic targets for diseases.

Effect of Regulatory Network of Exosomes and microRNAs on Neurodegenerative Diseases

Objective： A comprehensive review of the network regulation of exosomes and microRNAs （miRNAs） in neurodegenerative diseases was done, centering on the mechanism of the formation of exosomes and miRNAs and the sorting mechanism of exosomal miRNAs, with the aim to provide a theoretical basis in the search of biomarkers and the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Data Sources： The comprehensive search used online literature databases including NCBI PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Baidu Scholar. Study Selection- The study selection was based on the following keywords： exosomes, miRNAs, central nervous system （CNS）, and neurodegenerative diseases. The time limit for literature retrieval was from the year 2000 to 2018, with language restriction in English. Relevant articles were carefully reviewed, with no exclusions applied to study design and publication type. Results： Exosomes are the smallest nanoscale membranous microvesicles secreted by cells and contain important miRNAs, among other rich contents. In the CNS, exosomes can transport amyloid β-protein, α-synuclein, Huntington-associated protein 1, and superoxide dismutase I to other cells. These events relieve the abnormal accumulation of proteins and aggravating neurological diseases. In some neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer＇s disease, Parkinson＇s disease, Huntington＇s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, miRNAs are pathologically altered as an inexorable course, suggesting that miRNAs may contribute neurodegeneration. Exosomes and miRNAs form a network to regulate the homeostasis of the CNS, both synergistically and individually. Conclusion： The network of exosomes and miRNAs that regulates CNS homeostasis is a promising biomarker for the diagnosis and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Detection of time varying pitch in tonal languages: an approach based on ensemble empirical mode decomposition

A method based on ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) is proposed for accurately detecting the time varying pitch of speech in tonal languages. Unlike frame-, event-, or subspace-based pitch detectors, the time varying information of pitch within the short duration, which is of crucial importance in speech processing of tonal languages, can be accurately extracted. The Chinese Linguistic Data Consortium (CLDC) database for Mandarin Chinese was employed as standard speech data for the evaluation of the effectiveness of the method. It is shown that the proposed method provides more accurate and reliable results, particularly in estimating the tones of non-monotonically varying pitches like the third one in Mandarin Chinese. Also, it is shown that the new method has strong resistance to noise disturbance.