Osteopontin expression in vitreous and proliferative retinal membranes of patients with proliferative vitreous retinopathy

AIM: To analyze osteopontin (OPN) expression in vitreous and proliferative retinal membranes of patients with proliferative vitreous retinopathy (PVR). METHODS: A total of 54 vitreous fluid samples were obtained between 2009 and 2010, which contained 45 with PVR (group A) and 9 without PVR (group B). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was applied to quantify the OPN concentrations in vitreous fluid. Four samples of proliferative retinal membrane were also obtained at the time of vitrectomy, and their contents of OPN were measured by Real-time RT-PCR. RESULTS: The OPN levels in the vitreous fluid were 778.48+/- 62.06ng/mL in group A and 452.99 32.52ng/mL in group B. The vitreous OPN levels in group A were significantly higher than those in group B and to rise by time in the early stages of PVR. The average OPN levels in the proliferative retinal membranes (F =0.14) were also higher than those in the retinal pigment cells (F =0) using Real-time RT-PCR. CONCLUSION: The high vitreous and proliferative retinal membrane OPN levels in PVR suggest that OPN might promote the development of PVR. The vitreous OPN concentrations are rising by the time in the early phases of PVR.

Ce_(2)(MoO_(4))_(3) as an efficient catalyst for aerobic oxidative desulfurization of fuels

Ce_(2)(MoO_(4))_(3)was synthesized by a simple reflux method using cerium nitrate hexahydrate and ammonium molybdate as reactants.The as-prepared Ce_(2)(MoO_(4))_(3)was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR),X-ray diffraction(XRD),Scanning electron microscope(SEM),and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS).The removal of dibenzothiophene(DBT)in model oil was studied using Ce_(2)(MoO_(4))_(3)as catalyst and oxygen as oxidant.The reaction factors such as reaction temperature,amount of catalyst,and sulfide type on sulfur removal were researched.The results prove that both Ce3+and MoO42-play significant role in the conversion from DBT to DBTO2.The Ce_(2)(MoO_(4))_(3)catalyst has an excellent performance for the sulfur removal of DBT.Under the optimum reaction conditions,sulfur removal of 99.6%was obtained.After recycling five times,no significant loss in catalyst activity of Ce_(2)(MoO_(4))_(3).Mechanism of aerobic oxidative desulfurization was proposed based on the experiment of free radical capture and infrared characterization.

Phacoemulsification combined with transpupillary removal of silicone oil and intracapsular intraocular lens implantation

AIM： To estimate the effectiveness of phacoemulsification and foldable intraocular lens（IOL） implantation combined with transpupillary silicone oil removal.METHODS： There were 168 eyes of 168 candidate patients with cataract and silicone oil-filled eyes recruited in our study. All of the patients received the intraocular silicone oil removal surgery by transpupillary drainage and cataract extraction by phacoemulsification. Then the IOL implantation were also performed through corneal incision. RESULTS： The surgery was successfully completed in all eyes. Best corrected visual acuity（BCVA） and postoperative complications were recorded in three months after surgery. There were 143 eyes with BCVA improved, otherwise 25 eyes remained stable at the last follow-up visit. The mean BCVA statistically improved from 20/400±0.02 to 20/100±0.15（P〈0.001） and mean postoperative IOP was 13.85±2.18 mm Hg（P=0.415）. No intra-operative complications were reported.CONCLUSION： Phacoemulsification combined with transpupillary removal of silicone oil is a safe and simple effective method. In general, it enables quick recovery of visual acuity with less complication rate.

Preoperative contrast-enhanced computed tomography-based radiomics model for overall survival prediction in hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is the most common primary liver malignancy with a rising incidence worldwide.The prognosis of HCC patients after radical resection remains poor.Radiomics is a novel machine learning method that extracts quantitative features from medical images and provides predictive information of cancer,which can assist with cancer diagnosis,therapeutic decision-making and prognosis improvement.AIM To develop and validate a contrast-enhanced computed tomography-based radiomics model for predicting the overall survival(OS)of HCC patients after radical hepatectomy.METHODS A total of 150 HCC patients were randomly divided into a training cohort(n=107)and a validation cohort(n=43).Radiomics features were extracted from the entire tumour lesion.The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator algorithm was applied for the selection of radiomics features and the construction of the radiomics signature.Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to identify the independent prognostic factors and develop the predictive nomogram,incorporating clinicopathological characteristics and the radiomics signature.The accuracy of the nomogram was assessed with the concordance index,receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve and calibration curve.The clinical utility was evaluated by decision curve analysis(DCA).Kaplan–Meier methodology was used to compare the survival between the low-and high-risk subgroups.RESULTS In total,seven radiomics features were selected to construct the radiomics signature.According to the results of univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses,alpha-fetoprotein(AFP),neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio(NLR)and radiomics signature were included to build the nomogram.The C-indices of the nomogram in the training and validation cohorts were 0.736 and 0.774,respectively.ROC curve analysis for predicting 1-,3-,and 5-year OS confirmed satisfactory accuracy[training cohort,area under the curve(AUC)=0.850,0.791 and 0.823,respectively;validation cohort,AUC=0.905,0.884 and 0.911,respectively].The calibration curve analysis indicated a good agreement between the nomogram-prediction and actual survival.DCA curves suggested that the nomogram had more benefit than traditional staging system models.Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated that patients in the low-risk group had longer OS and disease-free survival(all P<0.0001).CONCLUSION The nomogram containing the radiomics signature,NLR and AFP is a reliable tool for predicting the OS of HCC patients.

Infrared optical absorption of Fr?hlich polarons in metal halide perovskites

The formation of Frohlich polarons in metal halide perovskites,arising from the charge carrier-longitudinal optical(LO)phonon coupling,has been proposed to explain their exceptional properties,but the effective identification of polarons in these materials is still a challenging task.Herein,we theoretically present the infrared optical absorption of Frohlich polarons based on the Huang-Rhys model.We find that multiphonon overtones appear as the energy of the incident photons matches the multiple LO phonons,wherein the average phonon number of a polaron can be directly evaluated by the order of the strongest overtone.These multiphonon structures sensitively depend on the scale of electronic distribution in the ground state and the dimensionality of the perovskite materials,revealing the effective modulation of competing processes between polaron formation and carrier cooling.Moreover,the order of the strongest overtone shifts to higher ones with temperature,providing a potential proof that the carrier mobility is affected by LO phonon scattering.The present model not only suggests a direct way to verify Frohlich polarons but also enriches our understanding of the properties of polarons in metal halide perovskites.

Research on "Erchen" in Erchen decoction

Traditional Chinese Medicine has a long history of aging medicines,with the Erchen decoction(it is a traditional Chinese botanical formula),produced by Chenpi(Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium)(CRP)and Banxia(Pinelliae Rhizoma)(PR),as having the most research value.While modern pharmacological studies have found that the main active components of CRP are flavonoids and volatile oils.The relative contents of 30 CRP flavonoids increase with aging time.However,the expectorant effect of CRP is not proportional to its aging time,and its volatile oil composition is thought to be negatively correlated with its aging time,yet this correlation has not yet been established by research.In addition,different experimental measurement methods have found that aging has a reduced effect on the toxic components of different processing types of PR,such as calcium oxalate needle crystals and protein substances.These research also noted that different processing methods also resulted in differences in the efficacy of PR.For example,during the aging process of Jiangbanxia(Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatumcum Zingibere Et Alumine)and auxiliary materials,6-gingerol was produced,which enhanced the anti-vomiting effects of PR but weakened its expectorant and cough function.Using a method of Alum processed PR,increases the contents of Inosine,Guanosine,Adenosine and Succinate,which thus enhances its expectorant effect.Finally,the contents of 6-Gingerol,Glycyrrhizin,Ammonium Glycyrrhizate,and other substances produced in the aging process of PR,can be used as base compounds for producing additional products of PR.The research on the efficacy and uses of Erchen decoction,particularly compounds made with CRP and PR is voluminous,but no standards currently exist for effective and standardized application of these substances.This paper reviews the research with an aim to establish standardization of methods and of compound aging time.

Research on General-Purpose Brain-Inspired Computing Systems

Brain-inspired computing is a new technology that draws on the principles of brain science and is oriented to the efficient development of artificial general intelligence(AGI),and a brain-inspired computing system is a hierarchical system composed of neuromorphic chips,basic software and hardware,and algorithms/applications that embody this tech-nology.While the system is developing rapidly,it faces various challenges and opportunities brought by interdisciplinary research,including the issue of software and hardware fragmentation.This paper analyzes the status quo of brain-inspired computing systems.Enlightened by some design principle and methodology of general-purpose computers,it is proposed to construct"general-purpose"brain-inspired computing systems.A general-purpose brain-inspired computing system refers to a brain-inspired computing hierarchy constructed based on the design philosophy of decoupling software and hardware,which can flexibly support various brain-inspired computing applications and neuromorphic chips with different architec-tures.Further,this paper introduces our recent work in these aspects,including the ANN(artificial neural network)/SNN(spiking neural network)development tools,the hardware agnostic compilation infrastructure,and the chip micro-archi-tecture with high flexibility of programming and high performance;these studies show that the"general-purpose"system can remarkably improve the efficiency of application development and enhance the productivity of basic software,thereby being conductive to accelerating the advancement of various brain-inspired algorithms and applications.We believe that this is the key to the collaborative research and development,and the evolution of applications,basic software and chips in this field,and conducive to building a favorable software/hardware ecosystem of brain-inspired computing.

Research on bubble trajectory and flow structure in helical-axial multiphase pump

The oil-gas two-phase hybrid transportation technology is one of the innovative technology directions for the exploitation and transportation of marginal and deep ocean oilfields.The helical-axial multiphase pump is a key equipment for oil and gas extraction.At this stage,most of the research on this kind of pump focuses on the improvement of the structure and conveying performance.However,because of insufficient understanding of the flow behavior and mechanism of bubbles,it is easy to cause the gas-liquid separation.In this paper,the numerical simulation and test are combined to explore the changes in the bubble trajectory and flow structure of the helical-axial multiphase pump.The results shown that when the speed is lower than 1200 r/min,the bubble reaches the maximum volume at 1/2 of the midline of the impeller blade and it contact with the pressure surface,broken to the suction surface.When the rotation speed is higher than 1450 r/min,the number of bubbles in the impeller increases and the size decreases.The backflow occurs in the tip clearance and strength increases continuously.The research results have important significance for the theoretical design and engineering application of the helical-axial multiphase pump.

HPV Infection and Distribution of HPV Genotypes on Patients with Condyloma Acuminatum

Objective To determine the incidence of infection with HPV and the distribution of HPV genotypes on patients with Condyloma acuminatum. Methods Twenty-three different HPV types were detected by PCR and reverse dot blot （RDB） hybridization over all 6 508 samples of vulva and cervix uteri in patients with condyloma acuminatum. Including 18 types were high-risk （HR）-HPV （16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 53, 56, 58, 59, 66, 68, 73, 83 and MM4）, and 5 types were low-risk （LR）-HPV （6, 11, 42, 43 and 44）. Results Among 6 508 cases, there were 3 288 cases with HPV infection and the incidence rate was 50.52%. The positive HPV patients overlap all 23 genotypes detected. There were 2 038 cases infected with a single HPV type and 1 250 cases infected with multiple HPV types. The constituent ratios in positive cases were 61.98% and 38.02%, respectively. There were 1 453 cases only with LR-HPV types infection, 945 cases only with HR-HPV types and 890 cases both with LR-HPV and HR-HPV infection, and the constituent ratios were 44.19%, 28.74% and 27.07%. There were 4 843 times positive HPV infection, including HR-HPV 2 361 times and LR-HPV 2 482 times. The common HR-HPV genotypes were 16, 52, 58, 56, 18, 66 and 33, and the incidence ratios were 6.31%, 5.06%, 4.04%, 2.60%, 2.41%, 2.40% and 2.28%. And the common LR-HPV genotypes were 6, 11 and 43, and the incidence ratios were 16.98%,11.09% and 6.75%, respectively. Overlap 23 types, the most common geno- types were HPV6 and HPVll, the incidence rates were higher than others （P〈0.05）. Conclusion HPV infection, especially with HR-HPV genotypes infect genital tract, which caused Condyloma acuminatum and cervical lesions, or cervical cancer. The detection of HPV genotypes was very important to prevent, diagnose early and therapy for cervical lesions or cervical cancer.

Analysis of Distribution of Thalassemic Genotype and Clinical Phenotype

Objective To determine the incidence of Thalassemia, the distribution of Thalassemic genotype and clinical phenotype. Methods Reverse dot blot （RDB） hybridization was used to detect the common three a-globin gene deletions（--SEA, -a3.7 and-a4.2） by Gap-PCR over all 8 118 cases and to detect 17 fl-globin gene 17 mutations （CD41-42, IVS- ][-654, CD17, -28, fiE, CD71- 72, CD27-28, -29, CD43, CD14-15, IVS-I-1, IVS-I-5, CAP, -31, Int, -32, -30） among 7 934 eases. Patients were grouped according to clinical phenotype such as anemia symptom, screening test of thalassemia and family carrier history. Results Among 8 118 cases, there were 2 519 cases with a-globin gene deletions over 9 kinds genotypes, and the incidence ofa-thal was 31.03%. The genotypes of--SEA/aa, -a3.7/aa, -a4.2/aa, -a3.7/--SEA and -a4.2/-sEA were common and constituent ratios were 77.05%, 11.95%, 4.01%,3.65% and 2.10%, respectively, and altogether was 98. 76%. Over all 7 934 cases, there were 1 691 cases with fl-globin gene mutation over 13 kinds genotypes, and the incidence of fl-thal was 21.31%, The mutation of CD41-42, IVS- ff-654, CD17 and -28 were common, and constituent ratios were 34.24%, 29.80%, 16.03% and 10. 70%, respectively, and altogether was 90. 77%. Number of patients with screening test positive was the largest, and the incidence of the group with three indications was the highest. The abnormal percentage in group both with anemia symptom and screening test positive was the highest. Conclusion There was a high thalassemia carrier rate among patients with clinical indications in our study. The main indication for diagnosis of thalassemia was both with anemia symptoms and screening test positive. The characteristics of thalamessia genotype in our study were consistent with that in southern China. It was important for population, especially reproductive population of high frequency area region to screen- ing and diagnosing thalassemia.