Sediment phosphorus speciation and retention process affected by invasion time of Spartina alterniflora in a subtropical coastal wetland of China.

In coastal wetland ecosystems, most phosphorus (P) accumulates in the sediments and becomes a major pollutant causing eutrophication by recycling to the water column in estuary areas, especially exotic plant invasions will change the nutrient cycling. In this study, a large wetland invaded by exotic species Spartina alterniflora for over 15 years was selected to study the sediment P fractionation and its retention for different plant invasion periods. The samples were collected from east to west in September and the sediment P was fractionated into total P (TP), inorganic P (IP), iron/aluminum-bound P (Fe/Al-P), calcium-bound P (Ca-P), and organic P (OP).

Wnt5a Contributes to the Differentiation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells into Lentoid Bodies Through the Noncanonical Wnt/JNK Signaling Pathway.

Purpose: Recent work has indicated that Wnt5a has a critical role in embryonic development. We investigate whether the Wnt5a-activated noncanonical Wnt pathway is capable of promoting embryonic lens differentiation.

Methods: A "three-stage" protocol was used to induce lens differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) in vitro, and Wnt5a levels were modified by addition of exogenous protein and RNA interference.

Mechanism of fibrosis inhibition in laser induced choroidal neovascularization by doxycycline.

To explore the mechanisms underlying doxycycline suppression of fibrosis in laser-induced choroidal neovascularization (LCNV), C57BL/6J male mice (aged from 6 to 8 weeks) received intraperitoneal injections of PBS/doxycycline solution from one day before laser injury until they were sacrificed. Leakage was assessed by FA, and CNV (stained by IB4) or fibrosis (stained by collagen type I) size was measured. The percentage of Pan-keratinα-SMA cells was counted in the eyes' cryostat sections by immunohistochemistry.

Retinal pigmental epithelium elevation and external limiting membrane interruption in myopic choroidal neovascularization: correlation with activity.

Purpose: To describe the morphological changes in myopic choroidal neovascularization (mCNV) on spectrum domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and to find a new strategy to evaluate their activity.

Methods: Characteristics of SD-OCT and fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) before and after ranibizumab treatment of 52 eyes with active mCNV were analyzed. SD-OCT parameters associated with mCNV activity and the clinical significance of their sensitivity and specificity were analyzed using FFA as a standard reference.

Correlations between the optic nerve head morphology and ocular biometrics in highly myopic eyes.

Aim: To analyze peripapillary atrophy β/γ zone (PPA-β/γ) and the optic disc ovality index, and to assess their associations with the axial length (AL), refractive error, best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), choroidal thickness (CT), and age in highly myopic eyes.

Methods: This was a retrospective observational case series. The study included 667 patients consecutively examined for highly myopic eyes [spherical equivalent ≤-6.

Functional roles of tyrosine 185 during the bacteriorhodopsin photocycle as revealed by in situ spectroscopic studies.

Tyrosine 185 (Y185), one of the aromatic residues within the retinal (Ret) chromophore binding pocket in helix F of bacteriorhodopsin (bR), is highly conserved among the microbial rhodopsin family proteins. Many studies have investigated the functions of Y185, but its underlying mechanism during the bR photocycle remains unclear. To address this research gap, in situ two-dimensional (2D) magic-angle spinning (MAS) solid-state NMR (ssNMR) of specifically labelled bR, combined with light-induced transient absorption change measurements, dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements, titration analysis and site-directed mutagenesis, was used to elucidate the functional roles of Y185 during the bR photocycle in the native membrane environment.

Pulmonary adenocarcinoma associated with Guillain-Barré syndrome: A case report.

Rationale: Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) as a paraneoplastic manifestation of small cell lung cancer has been published several times, while paraneoplastic GBS accompanied by pulmonary adenocarcinoma is rare.

Patient Concerns: An 80-year-old male was hospitalized with a 2-week history of fever and 10-day history of progressive ascending muscle weakness in the legs and arms. The patient felt weakness in legs at first when he was still able to move around, but the symptoms gradually progressed to the arms.

Short-Term Deposition of PM Particles on Contact Lens Surfaces: Effect on Oxygen Permeability and Refractive Index.

Purposes: To identify the deposition of fine (≤2.5 μm diameter) particulate matter (PM) particles (PM) on contact lens surfaces and to investigate the effects of such deposition on the oxygen permeability (OP) and refractive index (RI) of contact lenses.

Methods: A total of 36 contact lenses, including rigid gas permeable (RGP) lens and soft contact lens (SCL), were investigated.

In Situ Study of the Function of Bacterioruberin in the Dual-Chromophore Photoreceptor Archaerhodopsin-4.

While certain archaeal ion pumps have been shown to contain two chromophores, retinal and the carotenoid bacterioruberin, the functions of bacterioruberin have not been well explored. To address this research gap, recombinant archaerhodopsin-4 (aR4), either with retinal only or with both retinal and bacterioruberin chromophores, was successfully expressed together with endogenous lipids in H. salinarum L33 and MPK409 respectively.

Effects of passage and cryopreservation on neurotrophic factor secretion from choroid plexus epithelial cells.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of passage and cryopreservation of choroid plexus epithelial cells on their secretion of neurotrophic factors. Choroid plexus epithelial cells were cryopreserved and thawed following primary culture or passage cultured for up to two passages. The supernatant of primary, first/second passage and cryopreserved-thawed choroid plexus epithelial cells was collected when cells reached 80-90% confluence.

Factors affecting time to sputum culture conversion and treatment outcome of patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in China.

Background: Few prospective cohort studies, none in China, have investigated the relationship between treatment outcomes of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) patients and sputum culture conversion. Factors affecting the time of the culture conversion throughout the whole course of the treatment have rarely been investigated.

Methods: This study was performed in four cities in Jiangsu province, China.

Spin-echo based diagonal peak suppression in solid-state MAS NMR homonuclear chemical shift correlation spectra.

The feasibility of using the spin-echo based diagonal peak suppression method in solid-state MAS NMR homonuclear chemical shift correlation experiments is demonstrated. A complete phase cycling is designed in such a way that in the indirect dimension only the spin diffused signals are evolved, while all signals not involved in polarization transfer are refocused for cancellation. A data processing procedure is further introduced to reconstruct this acquired spectrum into a conventional two-dimensional homonuclear chemical shift correlation spectrum.

Association of IGFN1 variant with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy.

Background: Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) and neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) share a similar phenotype but are different in their clinical manifestations, responses to treatment and prognosis. Whether PCV is a subtype of AMD or a distinct entity from nAMD remains unknown. Therefore, we performed a whole-exome sequencing based association analysis to compare the genetic architecture of PCV and nAMD in Han Chinese.

Mediating Effect of Repeated Tuberculosis Exposure on the Risk of Transmission to Household Contacts of Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis Patients.

Primary transmission is an important driver of the global epidemic of resistance to tuberculosis drugs. A few studies have compared tuberculosis infection in contacts of index cases with different drug-resistant profiles, suggesting that contacts of multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis cases are at higher risk. Repeated tuberculosis exposure in contacts of MDR tuberculosis patients through recurrent tuberculosis may modify this relationship.

Mutation Spectrum of the LRP5, NDP, and TSPAN12 Genes in Chinese Patients With Familial Exudative Vitreoretinopathy.

Purpose: LRP5, NDP, and TSPAN12 are known to be associated with familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR). In this study, a comprehensive mutation screening for the three genes was performed in patients with a clinical diagnosis of FEVR in Han Chinese.

Methods: Genomic DNA and clinical data were collected from 100 probands and their family members.

[Deguelin inhibits proliferation and regulates the expression of MCM3-CDC45 in MCF-7 and H1299 cells in vitro].

Objective: To observe the effects of deguelin on the proliferation of breast cancer MCF-7 cells and lung cancer H1299 cells in vitro and the expression of minichromosome maintenance protein 3 (MCM3) and CDC45 in the cells.

Methods: MTT assay was used to evaluate the proliferation of MCF-7 and H1299 cells exposed to different concentrations of deguelin for 48, 72 or 96 h. The growth of the cells was observed microscopically and the changes of MCM3 and CDC45 expressions in MCF-7 and H1299 cells following deguelin treatment were detected with fluorescence quantitative PCR.

Active epilepsy prevalence, the treatment gap, and treatment gap risk profile in eastern China: A population-based study.

We measured the prevalence of active epilepsy and investigated the treatment gap and treatment gap risk profile in eastern China. This was a cross-sectional population-based survey conducted in Zhejiang, China, from October 2013 to March 2014. A total 54,976 people were selected using multi-stage cluster sampling.

A novel method for oxygen glucose deprivation model in organotypic spinal cord slices.

This study aimed to establish a model to closely mimic spinal cord hypoxic-ischemic injury with high production and high reproducibility. Fourteen-day cultured organotypic spinal cord slices were divided into 4 groups: control (Ctrl), oxygen glucose deprived for 30min (OGD 30min), OGD 60min, and OGD 120min. The Ctrl slices were incubated with 1ml propidium iodide (PI) solution (5μg/ml) for 30min.

A mouse dry eye model induced by topical administration of the air pollutant particulate matter 10.

Aim: To introduce a novel dry eye mouse model induced by topical administration of the air pollutant particulate matter 10 (PM).

Method: A total of 60 male BALB/c mice were used in this study and divided into two groups: group A (PBS eye drops, n=30) and group B (PM eye drop group, n=30). Each treatment was dosed four times a day, every time 50ul with the concentration of 5mg/ml PM10, for 14 consecutive days in the right eye.

Combinatorial treatment with topical NSAIDs and anti-VEGF for age-related macular degeneration, a meta-analysis.

Inflammation is a key pathogenic factor in age-related macular degeneration (AMD). However, the clinical importance of combining anti-VEGF agents and topical NSAIDs to reduce inflammation remains unclear. In this study, we systematically reviewed clinical trials comparing combined treatment versus anti-VEGF alone in AMD patients.

Ultrafast Dissociation of Metastable CO^{2+} in a Dimer.

We triply ionize the van der Waals bound carbon monoxide dimer with intense ultrashort pulses and study the breakup channel (CO)_{2}^{3+}→C^{+}+O^{+}+CO^{+}. The fragments are recorded in a cold target recoil ion momentum spectrometer. We observe a fast CO^{2+} dissociation channel in the dimer, which does not exist for the monomer.

Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1) expression is an independent prognostic factor in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC).

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subset of breast cancer that is highly aggressive and has a poor prognosis. Meanwhile, cancer stem cells (CSCs) are also characterized by a strong tumorigenic potential, which might be partly responsible for the aggressive behavior of TNBC. We previously showed that CSCs are enriched in TNBC cell lines and tissues.

Time to sputum culture conversion and treatment outcome of patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis: a prospective cohort study from urban China.

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Harmonic generation in solids with direct fiber laser pumping.

High harmonic generation in solids presents the possibility for bringing attosecond techniques to semiconductors and a simple source for frequency comb spectroscopy in the vacuum ultraviolet. We generate up to the seventh harmonic of a Tm fiber laser by focusing in silicon or zinc oxide. The harmonics are strong and stable, with no indication of material damage.