Restoration of outer segments of foveal photoreceptors after resolution of malignant hypertensive retinopathy

Dear Sir,I am Dr. Xiao-Qiang Liu, from the Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital,Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. I write to report a case of malignant hypertensive retinopathy demonstrated by spectral domain optical

Development of self-generated proppant based on modified low-density and low-viscosity epoxy resin and its evaluation

Hydraulic fracturing is a critical technology for the economic development of unconventional oil and gas reservoirs.The main factor influencing fracture propping and reservoir stimulation effect is proppant performance.The increasing depth of fractured oil and gas reservoirs is causing growing difficulty in hydraulic fracturing.Moreover,the migration of conventional proppants within the fracture is always limited due to small fracture width and rigid proppant structure.Thus,proppants with good transportation capacity and fracture propping effects are needed.First,a novel self-generated proppant based on toughened low-viscosity and low-density epoxy resin was developed to satisfy this demand.Then,proppant performances were evaluated.Low-viscosity and low-density epoxy resin was generated when the thiol-ene click chemical reaction product of eugenol and 1-thioglycerol reacts with the epichlorohydrin.Then,the resin was toughened with graphite particles to increase its compressive strength from50.8 to 72.1 MPa based on micro-cracking mechanism and crazing-nail anchor mechanism.The adduct of diethylene triamine and butyl glycidyl ether and the Si O2 nanoparticles were treated as the curing agent and emulsifier respectively to form the emulsion.The emulsion is transformed into solid particles of various sizes within a reservoir to prop the fracture.Evaluation shows good migration capacity of this self-generated proppant due to the low density of epoxy resin.

Polarization Mechanism in Filled Tungsten Bronze Ba4Eu2Ti4Nb6O30 with Pinched P-E Hysteresis Loops

Pinched P-E hysteresis loops have been observed in filled tungsten bronze Ba_(4)Eu_(2)Ti_(4)Nb_(6)O_(30),indicating the presence of novel polarization mechanisms.We investigate the evolution of polar order in filled tungsten bronze Ba_(4)Eu_(2)Ti_(4)Nb_(6)O_(30),together with its dielectric properties over a wide temperature range,from 50 K to 773 K.The temperature dependences of the dielectric properties exhibit two low-temperature dielectric relaxations,at around 300 K(P1),and 100 K(P2),and a high temperature peak at 588 K with no frequency dispersion,indicating the ferroelectric transition temperature T_(c).Pinched P-E loops are observed in the temperature range between the low temperature relaxation at P1,and the ferroelectric transition.On cooling,the pinched P-E hysteresis loops open gradually,with increasing remnant polarization(P_(r)).Two pairs of reversal electric fields indicate two types of polar reversal mechanisms,with an activated energy of 1.41 eV(E_(1)),and 0.94 eV(E_(2)),respectively.One corresponds to the field-induced transition from a nonpolar to a polar state,which dominates at a high temperature close to T_(c),while the other relates to the reversal of ferroelectric domains which stabilize gradually on cooling.At temperatures below 300 K,the polarization exhibits an evident decrease,probably related to the disruption of the polar order due to the dielectric relaxation at P1.

1990年与2017年中国前列腺癌疾病负担分析

目的分析1990年与2017年中国前列腺癌的疾病负担及变化趋势。方法采用2017年全球疾病负担(The Global Burden of Diseases 2017,GBD 2017)的研究结果,通过前列腺癌发病率、死亡率、伤残调整寿命年(Disability-Adjusted Life Years,DALY)、过早死亡损失寿命年(Years of Life Lost,YLL)、伤残损失寿命年(Years Lived with Disability,YLD)及其标化率对1990年和2017年间中国前列腺癌的疾病负担进行描述。结果2017年中国前列腺癌发病例数为14.49万,标化发病率为16.57/10万,死亡例数为5.17万,标化死亡率为6.8/10万。与1990年相比,发病例数增加了432.72%,标化发病率增加了98.21%,死亡例数增加了158.5%,标化死亡率降低了3.82%。发病率和死亡率随年龄的增加呈现出上升的趋势。相比1990年,2017年我国前列腺癌的DALY标化率降低了3.81%,YLL标化率降低了9.73%,YLD标化率增加了134.56%。结论与1990年相比,2017年我国前列腺癌的疾病负担整体呈下降趋势,但YLD呈现上升的趋势。老年人群的前列腺癌疾病负担仍然很高,应为重点关注人群。

Seminal plasma miR-210-3p induces spermatogenic cell apoptosis by activating caspase-3 in patients with varicocele

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of seminal plasma miR-210-3p in the impairment of semen quality caused by varicocele.This study included 102 patients whose semen quality was normal when they were diagnosed with varicocele.A 2-year follow-up for included patients was performed,and they were divided into Group A(semen quality became abnormal)and Group B(semen quality remained normal)according to the results of semen analysis during the follow-up.Semen parameters and seminal plasma miR-210-3p expression were investigated by semen analysis and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction,respectively.In vitro experiments with GC-2 cells were performed to explore the role of miR-210-3p in spermatogenic cells.The results of quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction showed that the level of seminal plasma miR-210-3p in Group A was higher than that in Group B both after 2-year follow-up and when they were diagnosed with varicocele(both P<0.01).Apoptosis and proliferation assays showed that miR-210-3p induces apoptosis of spermatogenic cells by promoting caspase-3 activation.In conclusion,our study indicated that seminal plasma miR-210-3p induces spermatogenic cell apoptosis by activating caspase-3 in patients with varicocele.Seminal plasma miR-210-3p may be a potential biomarker for predicting impaired semen quality caused by varicocele.

季节性冻土区光伏支架螺旋桩抗冻拔试验研究（英文）

目的:基于相似性原理,模拟实际工况中的降温冻结过程;通过室内试验确定最优桩型,并推导冻拔量与冻深的定量关系。创新点:1.进行季节性冻土区螺旋桩的自由冻胀试验;2.根据相似性原理,在室内试验过程中调整冷端温度与几何尺寸以缩短冻结时间;3.推导得到6种桩型冻拔量与冻结深度的定量关系。方法:1.通过相似性原理确定试验条件,模拟实际工况中的降温冻结过程;2.观测此过程中5种螺旋桩型的温度场、冻拔量和土压力随时间的变化规律,并设置一组光滑桩作为对比;3.根据冻拔量大小选取最优桩型,并推导冻拔量与冻深的定量关系。结论:1.螺旋桩冻拔量小于光滑桩,验证了螺旋桩抗冻拔的有效性;采用不同土样有相同规律。2.冻深达到0.9 m的季冻区,双螺旋大叶片桩抗冻拔效果最好;螺旋叶片建议设置在非冻区;冻拔量大小关系为:双螺旋大叶片桩<半螺旋大叶片桩<半螺旋小叶片桩<双螺旋小叶片桩<全螺旋桩<光滑桩。3.得到6种桩型冻拔量与冻深的线性关系。4.土中水开始冻结时土压力增大,含冰量稳定后土压力变化很小。

A practical community-based response strategy to interrupt Ebola transmission in sierra Leone, 2014–2015

Background:The Ebola virus disease spread rapidly in West Africa in 2014,leading to the loss of thousands of lives.Community engagement was one of the key strategies to interrupt Ebola transmission,and practical community level measures needed to be explored in the field and tailored to the specific context of communities.Methods:First,community-level education on Ebola virus disease(EVD)prevention was launched for the community’s social mobilizers in six districts in Sierra Leone beginning in November 2014.Then,from January to May of 2015,in three pilot communities,local trained community members were organized to engage in implementation of EVD prevention and transmission interruption measures,by involving them in alert case report,contact tracing,and social mobilization.The epidemiological indicators of transmission interruption in three study communities were evaluated.Results:A total of 6016 community social mobilizers from 185 wards were trained by holding 279 workshops in the six districts,and EVD message reached an estimated 631680 residents.In three pilot communities,72 EVD alert cases were reported,with 70.8%of them detected by trained local community members,and 14 EVD cases were finally identified.Contact tracing detected 64.3%of EVD cases.The median duration of community infectivity for the cases was 1 day.The secondary attack rate was 4.2%,and no third generation of infection was triggered.No health worker was infected,and no unsafe burial and noncompliance to EVD control measures were recorded.The community-based measures were modeled to reduce 77 EVD cases,and the EVD-free goal was achieved four months earlier in study communities than whole country of Sierra Leone.Conclusions: The community-based strategy of social mobilization and community engagement was effective in casedetection and reducing the extent of Ebola transmission in a country with weak health system. The successfullypractical experience to reduce the risk of Ebola transmission in the community with poor resources would potentiallybe helpful for the global community to fight against the EVD and the other diseases in the future.