Managing Complications of Percutaneous Surgery of the First Metatarsal.

The percutaneous osteotomy based on a Hohmanntype first metatarsal subcapital linear osteotomy was introduced into Mainland China in the late 1980s. No internal fixation is used for stabilization of the osteotomy, leading unfortunately to unpredictable results. Despite its high acceptance by patients and enthusiasm by surgeons at present, the clinical outcomes of percutaneous surgery have not been promising.

Equation of state and thermodynamic Grüneisen parameter of monoclinic 1,1-diamino-2,2-dinitroethylene.

In situ synchrotron x-ray diffraction experiments were conducted on 1,1-diamino-2,2-dinitroethylene (FOX-7) at pressures up to 6.8 GPa and temperatures up to 485 K. Within the resolution of the present diffraction data, our results do not reveal evidence for a pressure-induced structural phase transition near 2 GPa, previously observed in several vibrational spectroscopy experiments.

Dynamic range beyond 100 dB for polarization mode coupling measurement based on white light interferometer.

This paper presents a method to improve the dynamic range of white light interferometer (WLI) based polarization mode coupling (PMC) measurement system beyond 100 dB. The limitation of interference beat noise is overcame by analyzing in detail the inherent noises that have impacts on the detection sensitivity. An improved PMC measurement system and method are proposed for testing ultra-high polarization extinction ratio (PER) of polarization-related devices.

αvβ6 Integrin Promotes Castrate-Resistant Prostate Cancer through JNK1-Mediated Activation of Androgen Receptor.

Androgen receptor signaling fuels prostate cancer and is a major therapeutic target. However, mechanisms of resistance to therapeutic androgen ablation are not well understood. Here, using a prostate cancer mouse model, Pten(pc-/-), carrying a prostate epithelial-specific Pten deletion, we show that the αvβ6 integrin is required for tumor growth in vivo of castrated as well as of noncastrated mice.

Safety and efficacy of low fluence, high repetition rate versus high fluence, low repetition rate 810-nm diode laser for axillary hair removal in Chinese women.

Background: High-fluence diode lasers with contact cooling have emerged as the gold standard to remove unwanted hair. Lowering the energy should result in less pain and could theoretically affect the efficacy of the therapy.

Objective: To compare the safety and efficacy of a low fluence high repetition rate 810-nm diode laser to those of a high fluence, low repetition rate diode laser for permanent axillary hair removal in Chinese women.

Single-fiber tweezers applied for dye lasing in a fluid droplet.

We report on the first demonstration of a single-fiber optical tweezer that is utilized to stabilize and control the liquid droplet for dye lasing. In order to trap a liquid droplet with a diameter of 15-30 μm, an annular core micro-structured optical fiber is adopted. By using wavelength division multiplexing technology, we couple a trapping light source (980 nm) and a pumping light source (532 nm) into the annular core of the fiber to realize the trapping, controlling, and pumping of the oil droplet.

Blockade of hypoxia-induced CXCR4 with AMD3100 inhibits production of OA-associated catabolic mediators IL-1β and MMP-13.

Binding of the chemokine stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) to its receptor C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) results in receptor activation and the subsequent release of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) that contribute to osteoarthritis (OA) cartilage degradation. As hypoxia is a defining feature of the chondrocyte microenvironment, the present study investigated the possible mechanism through which SDF‑1 induces cartilage degradation under hypoxic conditions. To do this, OA chondrocyte cultures and patient tissue explants pretreated with the CXCR4 inhibitor, AMD3100 were incubated with SDF‑1.

Epitope spreading induced by immunization with synthetic SSB peptides.

Sjogren's syndrome type B (SSB)/La antibody is an autoantibody generally observed in connective tissue diseases whereas double-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (dsDNA) antibodies are the most characteristic autoantibodies found in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. The relationship of these autoantibodies remains unclear. The aim of the study was to determine the profile of antibody production in rabbits immunized with synthetic SSB peptides alone or with dsDNA.

Topical Tetracycline Improves MC903-induced Atopic Dermatitis in Mice through Inhibition of Inflammatory Cytokines and Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin Expression.

Background: Tetracycline (TET) has been found to have both antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties. The anti-inflammatory effect of topical TET on atopic dermatitis (AD) has not been reported. The purpose of this study was to explore the potential role of topical TET and its anti-inflammatory effects in a mouse model of AD.

Deep sequencing of the MHC region in the Chinese population contributes to studies of complex disease.

The human major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region has been shown to be associated with numerous diseases. However, it remains a challenge to pinpoint the causal variants for these associations because of the extreme complexity of the region. We thus sequenced the entire 5-Mb MHC region in 20,635 individuals of Han Chinese ancestry (10,689 controls and 9,946 patients with psoriasis) and constructed a Han-MHC database that includes both variants and HLA gene typing results of high accuracy.

[PEDICLE SUBTRACTION OSTEOTOMY ASSISTED WITH ANTERIOR COLUMN RECONSTRUCTION FOR TREATMENT OF CHRONIC OSTEOPOROTIC VERTEBRAL COMPRESSION FRACTURE].

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of pedicle subtraction osteotomy (PSO) assisted with anterior column reconstruction in the treatment of chronic osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF).

Methods: Between January 2008 and October 2014, 11 cases of chronic OVCF were treated. There were 2 males and 9 females, aged 65-76 years (mean, 72.

Combinatorial metabolic pathway assembly in the yeast genome with RNA-guided Cas9.

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an important industrial platform for the production of grain and cellulosic ethanol, isobutanol, butanediol, isoprenoids, and other chemicals. The construction of a successful production strain usually involves multiple gene knockouts and chromosomal integration of expression cassettes to redirect the metabolic fluxes for the conversion of sugars and other feed stocks into the desired product. RNA-guided Cas9 based genome editing has been demonstrated in many prokaryotic and eukaryotic hosts including S.

Compression regulates gene expression of chondrocytes through HDAC4 nuclear relocation via PP2A-dependent HDAC4 dephosphorylation.

Biomechanics plays a critical role in the modulation of chondrocyte function. The mechanisms by which mechanical loading is transduced into intracellular signals that regulate chondrocyte gene expression remain largely unknown. Histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4) is specifically expressed in chondrocytes.

High-Order Interference Effect Introduced by Polarization Mode Coupling in Polarization--Maintaining Fiber and Its Identification.

The high-order interference (HOI)-The interferogram introduced by polarization mode couplings (PMC) of multiple perturbations-Will cause misjudgment of the realistic coupling points in polarization-maintaining fiber (PMF) which is tested with a white light interferometer (WLI) with large dynamic range. We present an optical path tracking (OPT) method for simplifying the analysis of HOI, and demonstrate the enhancement and suppression conditions for the HOIs. A strategy is proposed to readily identify HOI by altering the spliced angle between polarizers' pigtails and the PMF under test.

Clinical Features of Adult/Adolescent Atopic Dermatitis and Chinese Criteria for Atopic Dermatitis.

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is an inflammatory skin disease characterized by chronic recurrent dermatitis with profound itching. Most patients have personal and/or family history of atopic diseases. Several criteria have been proposed for the diagnosis of AD.

Performance improvement of power-over-fiber system using noise-modulated laser diode.

In a power-over-fiber system, the key limiting factor for transmission light power is the stimulated Brillouin scattering effect, which leads to a decrease in transmission light power at the end of the optical fiber. Therefore, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a broadband laser generated by a noise-modulated distributed-feedback laser diode to suppress the stimulated Brillouin scattering effect in the optical fiber. Experimental results show that the linewidth of the noise-modulated distributed-feedback laser diode broadens from 2.

Expressions of Antimicrobial Peptides LL-37, Human Beta Defensin-2 and -3 in the Lesions of Cutaneous Tuberculosis and Tuberculids.

Background: Antimicrobial peptides, including cathelicidin LL-37, human beta defensin (HBD)-2, and HBD-3, are important elements of the innate immune response and involved in modulation of the adaptive immunity, and they also play an important role in cutaneous defense against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Methods: The fresh skin tissues and paraffin-embedded biopsy samples from three cutaneous tuberculosis, two tuberculids, and ten healthy individuals were collected. The expressions of LL-37, HBD-2, and HBD-3 mRNA in the lesions of three cutaneous tuberculosis and two tuberculids were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction; the protein expressions were detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting methods.

The Association of Age and Antibiotic Resistance of Helicobacter Pylori: A Study in Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province, China.

The antibiotic resistance of Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) is steadily increasing worldwide, resulting in the low efficiency of the current therapeutic approaches for eradication. In this study, we investigated the relationship between antibiotic resistances, the year of sample collection, and the ages of the infected individuals.A total of 29,034 gastric mucosa biopsy samples were randomly collected from January 1, 2009 to December 9, 2014 in Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province, China.

Trends and patterns of antibiotic consumption in Shanghai municipality, China: a 6 year surveillance with sales records, 2009-14.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to identify the trends and patterns of total antibiotic use in Shanghai from 2009 to 2014.

Methods: Sales records were collected from a minimum of 160 hospitals and 241 primary healthcare settings and used as a proxy for consumption. Antibiotic sales expressed in DDD per 1000 inhabitants per day (DID) were calculated.

Levofloxacin, bismuth, amoxicillin and esomeprazole as second-line Helicobacter pylori therapy after failure of non-bismuth quadruple therapy.

Background: The best rescue therapy for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection following failure of non-bismuth quadruple therapy (NBQT) remains unanswered.

Aims: To determine the efficacy, safety and compliance of levofloxacin, bismuth, amoxicillin and esomeprazole (LBAE) regimen following failure of NBQT.

A High-Affinity Native Human Antibody Disrupts Biofilm from Staphylococcus aureus Bacteria and Potentiates Antibiotic Efficacy in a Mouse Implant Infection Model.

Many serious bacterial infections are difficult to treat due to biofilm formation, which provides physical protection and induces a sessile phenotype refractory to antibiotic treatment compared to the planktonic state. A key structural component of biofilm is extracellular DNA, which is held in place by secreted bacterial proteins from the DNABII family: integration host factor (IHF) and histone-like (HU) proteins. A native human monoclonal antibody, TRL1068, has been discovered using single B-lymphocyte screening technology.

Quasi-distributed birefringence dispersion measurement for polarization maintain device with high accuracy based on white light interferometry.

A white light temporal interferometric technique for measurement of the quasi-distributed birefringence dispersion (BD) in a polarization maintain (PM) device with high accuracy based on weighted least square (WLS) method is presented. It is verified theoretically and experimentally that the accuracy of WLS method and the conventional ordinary least square (OLS) method both are proportional to the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of interferogram, whereas the WLS method holds a higher scaling factor because it is more suitable for heteroscedastic model that has unequal error variance. The experiment results show a repeatability of ~4.

Polarization mode coupling and related effects in fiber Bragg grating inscribed in polarization maintaining fiber.

Polarization mode coupling (PMC) and related effects from writing fiber Bragg gratings in polarization maintaining fiber (FBGs-in-PMF) are observed experimentally for the first time by optical fiber coherence domain polarimetry (OCDP) using a broadband light source. PMC is another useful aspect of FBG-in-PMF besides Bragg wavelength and its possible potential is evaluated and discussed. A localized and long range temperature measurement based on the PMC and Bragg wavelength is given as an example.

[Action mechanisms of prolactin and its receptors on penile erection and ejaculation].

Prolactin is a polypeptide hormone which mainly acts on the reproductive system and plays an important role in penile erection and ejaculation. Prolactin receptors have a variety of short forms apart from the classic long form, which are widely expressed in male reproductive glands. High levels of prolactin can induce erectile dysfunction and results in secondary male infertility, which are mainly associated with the inhibition of dopaminergic activity, reduction of the testosterone level, and contraction of the cavernous smooth muscle.