Search

Jie-Yu Wang,1,2 Xiao-Qing Lv,2 Jing-Mei Wu,2 Wang-Qin Tang,2 Gui-Ying Luo,1 Chun-Mei Liang,1 Dan-Ni Wang,3 Jing-Fang Hong,2 Yun-Xia Cao1,4,5 1Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People’s Republic of China; 2School of Nursing, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People’s Republic of China; 3Teaching Center for Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People’s Republic of China; 4NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, Hefei, People’s Republic of China; 5Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, Hefei, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Jing-Fang Hong; Yun-Xia Cao, Email 13739273006@163.com; hongjingfang@ahmu.edu.cn; caoyunxia6@126.comPurpose: Infertility has adverse effects on the quality of life (QoL) of infertile couples. Previous studies found important associations between sexual function, self-esteem and QoL, but mainly focused on one individual’s approach rather than both partners. This study adopted a dyadic approach to evaluate the relationship between sexual function and QoL in couples with infertility through mediation and improving self-esteem.Patients and Methods: Between October 2020 and January 2021, 428 couples with infertility (n=856) undergoing in-vitro fertilization (IVF) at a tertiary hospital in Hefei, China, were registered for the current descriptive cross-sectional research. The dyads’ sociodemographic and clinical features, as well as their sexual function, self-esteem, and QoL were evaluated. The Fertility quality of life scale (FertiQoL), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), and International Index of Erectile Function-15 (IIEF-15) were used to evaluate the participants. The Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Model (APIMeM) was utilized to examine data from the dyadic relationships.Results: According to the APIMeM analysis, sexual function of individuals with infertility was directly and indirectly connected with their QoL, mediated through their self-esteem. The women’s sexual function was found to be positively associated with their partner’s QoL, with the women’s self-esteem acting as a complete mediator. The men’s sexual function was found to be positively associated with partner’s QoL, with the men’s self-esteem acting as a complete mediator.Conclusion: The findings suggest that boosting participants’ self-esteem can help them and their partners have a better QoL. Also, therapies aimed at improving and sustaining self-esteem of couples with infertility could help mitigate the negative influence of low sexual function on their QoL.Keywords: in-vitro fertilization, dyad, quality of life, self-esteem, sexual function

Background: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a significant side effect of some chemotherapeutic agents. Effective treatment is limited., Objectives: This single patient case details gua sha as an intervention to reduce CIPN., Methods: A 38-year-old female patient received weekly treatment of gua sha in one-hour sessions for 10 weeks. The patient completed the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy/Gynecologic Oncology Group-Neurotoxicity (FACT/GOG-NTX) subscale to describe her CIPN throughout and postintervention. A research assistant measured the extent of numbness or tingling along the limb from baseline to 18 months after gua sha. Descriptive data were used to summarize this case., Findings: After gua sha, the total FACT/GOG-NTX subscale score increased from 13 to 36, indicating a sevenfold greater change than the minimum clinically important difference. The range of limb numbness and tingling decreased, and the symptoms remained stable during follow-up. Gua sha showed a positive clinical effect.

Whispering gallery mode (WGM) resonators are usually discrete optical devices, which have integration difficulties with an optical fiber system. Here we present a new, to the best of our knowledge, type of optical fiber whispering gallery mode resonator based on a cylindrical cavity, which is located in the multimode fiber core and fabricated by femtosecond laser micromachining together with fast hydrofluoric acid etching techniques. When light traveling in the fiber core is tangent to the cylindrical cavity wall, it is coupled into the cavity and circulates along the cavity wall to excite WGM resonance before being coupled out to the same tangential path and continuing propagation in the fiber core. The device is fully integrated into the optical fiber, simple in fabrication, convenient in operation, low in cost, and has a good quality factor (Q) of 1.06 × 10 4 . The device enriches the family of WGM resonators and is expected to have promising applications in photonics.

Background and Purpose: Previous studies have suggested that music listening has the potential to positively affect cognitive functions and mood in individuals with post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI), with a preference for self-selected music likely to yield better outcomes. However, there is insufficient clinical evidence to suggest the use of music listening in routine rehabilitation care to treat PSCI. This randomized control trial (RCT) aims to investigate the effects of personalized music listening on mood improvement, activities of daily living (ADLs), and cognitive functions in individuals with PSCI., Materials and Methods: A total of 34 patients with PSCI were randomly assigned to either the music group or the control group. Patients in the music group underwent a three-month personalized music-listening intervention. The intervention involved listening to a personalized playlist tailored to each individual's cultural, ethnic, and social background, life experiences, and personal music preferences. In contrast, the control group patients listened to white noise as a placebo. Cognitive function, neurological function, mood, and ADLs were assessed., Results: After three months of treatment, the music group showed significantly higher Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores compared to the control group (p=0.027), particularly in the domains of delayed recall (p=0.019) and orientation (p=0.023). Moreover, the music group demonstrated significantly better scores in National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) (p=0.008), Barthel Index (BI) (p=0.019), and Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview (ZBI) (p=0.008) compared to the control group. No effects were found on mood as measured by the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA) and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD)., Conclusion: Personalized music listening promotes the recovery of cognitive and neurological functions, improves ADLs, and reduces caregiver burden in patients with PSCI., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate the impacts of fat distribution on assisted reproductive outcomes in infertile women., Methods: The study randomly recruited 576 infertile women who underwent assisted reproductive technology treatment at the Reproductive Medicine Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University between July and October 2022. Questionnaires and body composition measurements were administered to assess baseline information and fat distribution. The numbers of oocytes, zygotes presenting with two pronuclei (2PN), and available embryos were tracked at the end of the cycle. Multifactorial logistic regression models and restricted cubic spline (RCS) curve models were used to explore the relationships between fat distribution and reproductive outcomes while controlling for confounding factors., Results: The study found that the participants had a mean age of 30.82 years. The analysis showed that there was a significant difference between the amount of leg body fat mass (LBFM) and the distribution of reproductive outcomes. However, there was no significant correlation between the level of visceral fat and reproductive outcomes. After taking confounding factors into account, the multifactorial regression analysis showed that the total body fat mass and the number of oocytes (odds ratio (OR) 0.92, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.84-0.99), 2PN (OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.84-0.99), and embryos available for transfer (OR 0.90, 95% CI 0.82-0.99) were negatively correlated. RCS modeling revealed a linear dose-response relationship between LBFM and assisted reproductive outcomes., Conclusion: Fat distribution varies among infertile women, and higher amounts of fat are associated with poorer assisted reproductive outcomes., (© 2024 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.)

Engineering Yarrowia lipolytica to produce astaxanthin provides a promising route. Here, Y. lipolytica M2 producing a titer of 181 mg/L astaxanthin was isolated by iterative atmospheric and room-temperature plasma mutagenesis and diphenylamine-mediated screening. Interestingly, a negative correlation was observed between cell biomass and astaxanthin production. To reveal the underlying mechanism, RNA-seq analysis of transcriptional changes was performed in high producer M2 and reference strain M1, and a total of 1379 differentially expressed genes were obtained. Data analysis revealed that carbon flux was elevated through lipid metabolism, acetyl-CoA and mevalonate supply, but restrained through central carbon metabolism in strain M2. Moreover, upregulation of other pathways such as ATP-binding cassette transporter and thiamine pyrophosphate possibly provided more cofactors for carotenoid hydroxylase and relieved cell membrane stress caused by astaxanthin insertion. These results suggest that balancing cell growth and astaxanthin production may be important to promote efficient biosynthesis of astaxanthin in Y. lipolytica., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Efflux pump antiporters confer drug resistance to bacteria by coupling proton import with the expulsion of antibiotics from the cytoplasm. Despite efforts there remains a lack of understanding as to how acid/base chemistry drives drug efflux. Here, we uncover the proton-coupling mechanism of the Staphylococcus aureus efflux pump NorA by elucidating structures in various protonation states of two essential acidic residues using cryo-EM. Protonation of Glu222 and Asp307 within the C-terminal domain stabilized the inward-occluded conformation by forming hydrogen bonds between the acidic residues and a single helix within the N-terminal domain responsible for occluding the substrate binding pocket. Remarkably, deprotonation of both Glu222 and Asp307 is needed to release interdomain tethering interactions, leading to opening of the pocket for antibiotic entry. Hence, the two acidic residues serve as a "belt and suspenders" protection mechanism to prevent simultaneous binding of protons and drug that enforce NorA coupling stoichiometry and confer antibiotic resistance., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The construction of a yield loss evaluation index for the cold vortex type light-temperature-water composite adversity during rice flowering period in Northeast China is important for elucidating the impacts of cold vortex type composite disasters on rice yield loss in middle and high latitude areas. Moreover, it can provide meteorological support to ensure safe production of high-quality japonica rice in China and contribute to regional disaster reduction and efficiency improvement. By combining growth period data, meteorological data, and yield data, we delineated and constructed the composite stress occurrence index of cold vortex type light-temperature-water at the flowering stage of japonica. We analyzed the relationship between factors causing disasters and yield structure, as well as the relationship between different yield structures and yield by employing BP neural network method. We further dissected the processes involved in the causation of combined disasters. Based on the K-means clustering method and historical typical disaster years, we quantified the critical thresholds and disaster grades, and established an evaluation index and model for assessing yield loss caused by combined stress from cold vortex type light-temperature-water. Finally, we examined the spatial and temporal variations of low temperature, abundant rainfall, and reduced sunlight during the flowering period in the three provinces of Northeast China. Results showed that the critical thresholds for light, temperature, and water stress index during the flowering stage of mild, moderate, and severe cold vortex types were [0, 0.21), [0.21, 0.32), and [0.32, 0.64], respectively. The rates of yield loss were [0, 0.03), [0.03, 0.08), and [0.08, 0.096], respectively. Based on the verification results of a total of 751 samples in 11 random years from 1961 to 2020, the percentage of stations for which the production reduction grade, as calculated by the composite index developed in this study, aligning with the actual production reduction grade was 63.7%, consistently exceeding 58.0% annually. Moreover, the proportion of sites with a similarity or difference level of 1 stood at 88.3%, surpassing 85.0% in each year. The index could effectively assess the extent of rice yield loss caused by cold vortex disasters in Northeast China.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore whether psychological resilience can influence changes in cognitive function in older adults and provide clues and rationale for improving cognitive function and preventing the onset of dementia in the geriatric population., Methods: A total of 2495 older adults aged 60 years or older from the Ma' anshan Healthy Aging Cohort were included in the study. Participants' cognitive functioning and psychological resilience were measured using the MMSE (mini-mental state examination) scale and the SRQS (stress resilience quotient scale) scale during the 5 years of follow-up, and the association was explored. Those with MMSE scores ≤ 17 in the illiterate group, ≤ 20 in the elementary school group, and ≤ 24 in the secondary school and above group were considered cognitive impairment., Results: The prevalence of cognitive impairment increased from 6.89% to 14.30% during the five years of follow-up. At 5-year follow-up, the group with the highest psychological resilience had 41 (6.83%) individuals whose cognitive functioning changed from normal to cognitive impairment, while the group with the worst psychological resilience had 114 (18.33%) individuals. The study also found a significant effect of different levels of psychological resilience on changes in cognitive functioning after adjusting for potential confounders. Compared with Q1 (the reference group), the Odds ratio of cognitive decline in Q2, Q3 and Q4 groups were 0.51(0.42,0.64), 0.37(0.29,0.47) and 0.19(0.13,0.27), respectively., Conclusions: Improving the level of psychological resilience in older adults may be one way to prevent the incidence of cognitive impairment., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None, (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: As a natural source of support for the elderly, the family is an important channel for achieving a sense of security, happiness, and worthiness in old age. In this study, we analysed the characteristics of intergenerational support in families of centenarians and explored the impact of the number of family generations on intergenerational support., Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey between April 2020 and January 2021 among 62 elderly people aged 99+ in Rugao, China, one of six 'longevity cities' in the world. Assisted by the researchers, centenarians completed questionnaires with details pertaining to general demographics, intergenerational support, and other aspects. We used a logistic regression model to analyse the influence of the number of family generations on intergenerational support that the centenarians received with respect to economic, living, and emotional aspects., Results: Centenarians were primarily recipients of care in their families, and received intergenerational support mainly for their declined physical functions and limited self-care ability. The study results revealed that the greater the number of generations comprising the family, the greater was the intergenerational life care and emotional comfort provided for centenarians by the family., Conclusions: In this study, we found a positive effect of the number of family generations on intergenerational support for centenarians. The government and society should promote the tradition of respecting, caring for, and honouring the elderly while paying close attention to the dynamic changes in the family structure of centenarians in promoting high-quality and sustainable development of the people, economy, and society., (© 2023 Japanese Psychogeriatric Society.)

Objective: To explore the safety and reliability of retrosigmoid approach BONEBRIDGE implantation in patients with auricle reconstruction using skin expansion flap. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 43 congenital aural atresia cases (43 ears) who underwent BONEBRIDGE implantation from September 2019 to January 2023 in Beijing Tongren Hospital. 30 males and 13 females were included in this work. The implantation age was 9-36 years old (median age=10 y/o). All cases underwent auricle reconstruction surgery using the posterior ear flap expansion method, with 36 cases using the single expanded postauricular flap method and 7 cases using two-flap method. BONEBRIDGE implant surgery was performed during the third stage of auricle reconstruction or after all stages. The hearing improvements were evaluated by comparing the changes in pure tone hearing threshold and speech recognition rate of patients before and after BONEBRIDGE implantation. Routine follow-up was conducted to observe the hearing results and complications. SPSS 14.0 software was applied for data statistical analysis. Results: All 43 patients healed well and had no surgical complications when discharge. The average bone conduction hearing threshold after surgery was (8.2±6.6) dBHL, and there was no statistically significant difference compared to the preoperative [(8.1±5.7) dBHL] ( P =0.95). After surgery, the threshold of hearing assistance with power on was significantly lower than that without hearing assistance [(32.8±4.6) dBHL vs (60.5±5.5) dBHL], and the difference was statistically significant ( P <0.001). The speech recognition rate of monosyllable words, disyllabic words and short sentences in quiet environment increased to 72%, 84%, and 98% respectively. The differences were statistically significant ( P <0.001). The speech recognition rate of monosyllabic words, disyllabic words, and short sentences in noise environment was significantly increased by 70%, 80%, and 92% respectively ( P <0.001). After a follow-up of 4 to 47 months (median=24 months), the hearing results were stable and the aesthetic outcomes were satisfying. One patient had delayed hematoma around coil of the implant. After aspiration and compressed dressing for one week, hematoma was not recurrent. Conclusion: For patients after auricle reconstruction using expanded postauricular flap, the preference of retrosigmoid approach is a good choice in terms of safety and reliability of operation, as well as aesthetic appearance.

Objective: To compare the characteristics of serum adrenocortical hormone profiles detected by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry in patients with adrenal cortical carcinoma and adrenal adenoma. Methods: A total of 23 patients with adrenal cortical carcinoma and 119 patients with adrenal cortical adenoma/hyperplasia who visited the Department of Endocrinology and/or the Department of Urology of Peking University First Hospital from January 2018 to June 2022 were analyzed retrospectively. The imaging characteristics and serum adrenal cortical hormone profiles detected by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry were analyzed retrospectively. The independent related factors of adrenal cortical carcinoma were screened by univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: The age of patients with adrenal cortical carcinoma was 46 (35, 57) years, and 15 (65.2%) were female; The age of adrenal cortical adenoma patients was 49 (40, 58) years old, and 80 (67.2%) were female. There was no significant difference in age and gender between the two groups (all P values > 0.05). The maximum tumor diameter M ( Q 1 , Q 3 ) of patients with adrenocortical carcinoma was 7.05 (5.45, 9.78) cm, which was larger than that of patients with adrenocortical adenoma [2.1 (1.6, 3.0) cm] ( P <0.001). Compared with patients with adrenal adenoma, the androstenedione (AD) of patients with adrenal cortical carcinoma [4.056 9 (1.619 5, 7.907 9) nmol/L vs 1.517 5 (0.935 1, 2.582 1) nmol/L ( P <0.001)] was significantly increased; 11-ketotestosterone/11-ketoandrostenedione [0.034 3 (0.020 6, 0.079 2) vs 0.041 0 (0.028 6, 0.061 5) ( P =0.089)] and 11-ketoandrostenedione/11-hydroxyandrostenedione [0.013 0 (0.006 4, 0.086 7) vs 0.063 0 (0.018 2, 0.162 5) ( P =0.042)] were significantly decreased. Multivariate analysis found that AD, the largest diameter of the tumor, 11-ketotestosterone/11-ketoandrostenedione and 11-ketoandrostenedione/11-hydroxyandrostenedi-one were related factors for adrenal cortical carcinoma, with OR values (95% CI ) of 1.841 (1.093-3.100), 5.130 (2.332-11.285), 0.381 (0.167-0.867) and 0.000 (0.000-0.014), respectively, all P values < 0.05. Conclusions: The larger diameter of adrenal cortical tumor and the higher the level of androstenedione are independent risk factors for adrenal cortical carcinoma. The reduction conversion of 11-hydroxyandrostenedione to 11-ketoandrostenedione and 11-ketoandrostenedione to 11-ketotestosterone were independently associated with adrenal cortical carcinoma.

In this study, we sampled leaves of coniferous species Pinus koraiensis and broad-leaved tree species Fraxinus mandshurica from four latitudes in northeastern China to investigate the carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) stoichiometric characteristics and nutrient resorption efficiency and their potential relationships, as well as their responses to climatic and edaphic factors. The results showed that stoichiometric characteristics were species-specific, and that the C and N contents in leaves of F. mandshurica significantly increased with increasing latitude. The C:N of F. mandshurica and N:P of P. koraiensis were negatively correlated with latitude, but an inverse relationship was found for N:P of F. mandshurica . P resorption efficiency was significantly correlated with latitude in P. koraiensis . The spatial variation of ecological stoichiometry of these two species was mainly affected by climatic factors such as mean annual temperature and precipitation, while that of nutrient resorption was influenced by several soil factors such as soil pH and nitrogen content. Principal component analysis showed that P resorption efficiency of P. koraiensis and F. mandshurica was significantly negatively correlated with N:P, but positively correlated with P content. N resorption efficiency showed significantly positive correlation with P content but negative correlation with N:P in P. koraiensis . Compared with P. koraiensis , F. mandshurica was more inclined to fast investment and return in terms of leaf traits.

In this Letter, an optical fiber whispering gallery mode microsphere resonator based on cylindrical air cavity coupling is proposed and demonstrated. The cylindrical air cavity is vertical to the axis of a single-mode fiber and in touch with the fiber core, fabricated by using femtosecond laser micromachining together with hydrofluoric acid etching. A microsphere is inserted into the cylindrical air cavity and in tangential contact with the inner cavity wall, which is in touch with or inside the fiber core. The light traveling in the fiber core is coupled into the microsphere via an evanescent wave when the light path is tangential to the contacting point of the microsphere and the inner cavity wall, resulting in whispering gallery mode resonance when the phase-matching condition is satisfied. Such a device is highly integrated, robust in structure, low in cost, stable in operation, and has a good quality factor (Q) of 1.44 × 10 4 .

Purpose: This paper presents a preliminary study on whether repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) can modulate the nutritional status of persistent vegetative state (PVS) patients (the primary endpoint) by regulating the intestinal flora and the metabolites, with the correlation between them also investigated., Methods: Seventy-six patients with PVS were selected and divided into the observation group ( n  = 38) and the control group ( n  = 38) by random numerical grouping. All subjects' stool samples were examined for metabolites and analyzed regarding the short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) content. All subjects' serum albumin, prealbumin, and hemoglobin levels were measured before and after the treatment. Nutrition risk screening 2002 was performed on all the subjects before and after the treatment and on the 30th and 90th days of the follow-up., Results: (1) Intestinal flora structure: the Chao index, Ace index, and Shannon index of the observation group and the control group were significantly higher ( p  < 0.05), while the Simpson index was significantly lower ( p  < 0.05) following the treatment. (2) Metabolites of the intestinal flora: the observation group had significantly higher levels of acetic acid, butyric acid, and valeric acid ( p  < 0.05), as well as lower levels of propionic acid ( p  < 0.05) following the treatment. (3) Nutritional status (the primary endpoint): following the treatment, the above serum nutritional indices were significantly higher in both groups ( p  < 0.05), while the indices of the observation group were significantly higher than those of the control group ( p  < 0.05)., Conclusion: The rTMS method may improve the nutritional status of patients with PVS by regulating the structure of the intestinal flora and affecting the level of SCFAs through the microbiota-gut-brain axis. The possible mechanism involves how high-frequency rTMS can cause increased excitation in the frontal lobe of the right side of the brain, thus regulating the 5-hydroxytryptamine and norepinephrine levels., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Liu, Zhao, Pang, Wen, Xiao, Zeng, Wang, Chen, Wang and Yu.)

Increasing evidence highlights the role of bacteria in promoting tumorigenesis. The underlying mechanisms may be diverse and remain poorly understood. Here, we report that Salmonella infection leads to extensive de/acetylation changes in host cell proteins. The acetylation of mammalian cell division cycle 42 (CDC42), a member of the Rho family of GTPases involved in many crucial signaling pathways in cancer cells, is drastically reduced after bacterial infection. CDC42 is deacetylated by SIRT2 and acetylated by p300/CBP. Non-acetylated CDC42 at lysine 153 shows an impaired binding of its downstream effector PAK4 and an attenuated phosphorylation of p38 and JNK, consequently reduces cell apoptosis. The reduction in K153 acetylation also enhances the migration and invasion ability of colon cancer cells. The low level of K153 acetylation in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) predicts a poor prognosis. Taken together, our findings suggest a new mechanism of bacterial infection-induced promotion of colorectal tumorigenesis by modulation of the CDC42-PAK axis through manipulation of CDC42 acetylation., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Wang et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

A slightly tapered graded index multimode fiber (GIMF) is demonstrated as the saturable absorber (SA) for a conventional soliton and tightly bound soliton generation. The SA device is simply a GIMF spliced with single-mode fiber (SMF) at its two ends. The waist diameter of the slightly tapered fiber is ∼23.8µ m , located at one of the splicing points of SMF and GIMF. The mode-locked output of conventional solitons and tightly bound solitons can be obtained in a ring fiber laser based on such a SA. The central wavelength of the output conventional solitons is 1563.5 nm, and the pulse width is as short as 473 fs at the fundamental frequency of 19.53 MHz. The central wavelength of the tightly bound solitons is 1563.5 nm, with a pulse width of 636 fs and a separation of 1.89 ps. The device is featured with a simple and robust structure and stable operation capability and can effectively overcome the difficulty in requirement of precise control of the GIMF length, which make it attractive in ultrafast lasers and optical fiber communication systems.

Background: Family resilience plays a crucial role in protecting the mental health and family stability of infertile patients. However, information associated with infertile families resilience is scarce. The double ABC-X model provides a roadmap for this, helps organize knowledge, and lays the foundation for knowledge development., Aims: To describe the current situation of family resilience of infertile women, and to test the predictive theoretical model of family resilience based on infertility stigma, individual resilience, coping style, and posttraumatic growth., Design: A cross-sectional study., Methods: A convenience sample of 372 infertile women undergoing in vitro fertilization were recruited between April and August 2020. The Chinese-Family Resilience Assessment Scale, Infertility Stigma Scale, Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire, Chinese version of Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and Chinese version of Post Traumatic Growth Inventory were used to measure family resilience, infertility stigma, individual resilience, coping style, and posttraumatic growth. Structural equation models were used to analyze the relationship among these variables., Results: The results showed that family resilience was related to infertility stigma, positive coping, and individual resilience. Moreover, the path analysis indicated that positive coping and individual resilience mediated the effects of infertility stigma on family resilience., Conclusions: A high level of stigma among infertile women should be identified. Interventions for targeting positive coping and individual resilience might ultimately increase their family resilience., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Centenarians, who show mild infections and low incidence of tumors, are the optimal model to investigate healthy aging. However, longevity related immune characteristics has not been fully revealed largely due to lack of appropriate controls. In this study, single-cell transcriptomic analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) derived from seven centenarians (CEN), six centenarians' offspring (CO), and nine offspring spouses or neighbors (Control, age-matched to CO) are performed to investigate the shared immune features between CEN and CO. The results indicate that among all 12 T cell clusters, the cytotoxic-phenotype-clusters (CPC) and the naïve-phenotype-clusters (NPC) significantly change between CEN and ontrol. Compared to Control, both CEN and CO are characterized by depleted NPC and increased CPC, which is dominated by CD8 + T cells. Furthermore, CPC from CEN and CO share enhanced signaling pathways and transcriptional factors associated with immune response, and possesse similar T-cell-receptor features, such as high clonal expansion. Interestingly, rather than a significant increase in GZMK + CD8 cells during aging, centenarians show accumulation of GZMB + and CMC1 + CD8 T cells. Collectively, this study unveils an immune remodeling pattern reflected by both quantitative increase and functional reinforcement of cytotoxic T cells which are essential for healthy aging., (© 2022 The Authors. Advanced Science published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

With the development of basic research, some genetic-based methods have been found to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) with large deletion mutations and nonsense mutations. Appropriate therapeutic approaches for repairing multiple duplications are limited. We used the CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat)/Cas9 system with patient-derived primary myoblasts to correct multiple duplications of the dystrophin gene. Muscle tissues from a patient carrying duplications of dystrophin were obtained, and tissue-derived primary cells were cultured. Myoblasts were purified with an immunomagnetic sorting system using CD56 microbeads. After transduction by lentivirus with a designed single guide RNA (sgRNA) targeting a duplicated region, myoblasts were allowed to differentiate for 7 days. Copy number variations in the exons of the patient's myotubes were quantified by real-time PCR before and after genetic editing. Western blot analysis was performed to detect the full-length dystrophin protein before and after genetic editing. The ten sequences predicted to be the most likely off-targets were determined by Sanger sequencing. The patient carried duplications of exon 18-25, dystrophin protein expression was completely abrogated. Real-time PCR showed that the copy number of exon 25 in the patient's myotubes was 2.015 ± 0.079 compared with that of the healthy controls. After editing, the copy number of exon 25 in the patient's modified myotubes was 1.308 ± 0.083 compared with that of the healthy controls (P < 0.001). Western blot analysis revealed no expression of the dystrophin protein in the patient's myotubes before editing. After editing, the patient's myotubes expressed the full-length dystrophin protein at a level that was ~6.12% of that in the healthy control samples. Off-target analysis revealed no abnormal editing at the ten sites predicted to be the most likely off-target sites. The excision of multiple duplications by the CRISPR/Cas9 system restored the expression of full-length dystrophin. This study provides proof of evidence for future genome-editing therapy in patients with DMD caused by multiple duplication mutations., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

Background: Deep venipuncture catheterization is widely used in clinical anesthesia. However, it is worth thinking about how to improve the rate of successful catheter insertion, and relieve patients' discomfort. This paper aimed to compare the clinical advantages between trocar and steel needle., Methods: Total 503 adult patients were recruited and randomly assigned. The control group was punctured with steel needle, and the experimental group was punctured with trocar needle. Clinical and followed-up information was recorded. Pearson's chi-squared and spearman test were performed to analyze the correlation between intervention and relative parameters. Univariate logistic regression was performed to verify the odds ratio of trocar needle compared with steel needle., Results: Pearson's chi-square test and Spearman's correlation test showed a significant correlation between puncture success, puncture comfort, successful catheter insertion, puncture time, thrombosis, catheter fever, bleeding, infection and interventions (P < .05). Univariate logistic regression showed that there existed better puncture comfort (odds ratio [OR] = 6.548, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.320-9.925, P < .001), higher successful catheter insertion (OR = 6.060, 95% CI: 3.278-11.204, P < .001), shorter puncture time (OR = 0.147, 95% CI: 0.093-0.233, P < .001), lesser thrombosis (OR = 0.194, 95% CI: 0.121-0.312, P < .001), lesser catheter fever (OR = 0.263, 95% CI: 0.158-0.438, P < .001), lesser bleeding (OR = 0.082, 95% CI: 0.045-0.150, P < .001) and lesser infection (OR = 0.340, 95% CI: 0.202-0.571, P < .001) in trocar group compared with steel needle group., Conclusion: Trocar application in deep venipuncture catheterization can improve successful catheter insertion, relieve pain and discomfort of patients, reduce incidence of complications, and provide better security for patients., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2022 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

A new type of long-period fiber grating is proposed and demonstrated. The structure of the device consists of a few micro air-channels along a single-mode fiber, and is fabricated by using a femtosecond laser to inscribe a few groups of fiber inner waveguide arrays followed by hydrofluoric acid etching. The length of the long-period fiber grating is down to 600 µm, corresponding to only five grating periods. To the best of our knowledge, this is the shortest long-period fiber grating reported. The device has a good refractive index sensitivity of ∼587.08 nm/RIU (refractive index unit) in the refractive index range of 1.34-1.365 and a relatively small temperature sensitivity of ∼12.1 pm/°C, thus reducing the temperature cross-sensitivity. Such a device is expected to have promising photonic applications.

A multimode fiber surface plasmon resonance sensor based on a down-up taper for refractive index measurement is proposed and demonstrated. The device is fabricated by splicing two multimode fibers in a heating and pushing process to form an up taper, followed by heating and pulling the fiber adjacent to the up-taper area to form a down taper, and then using a magnetron sputtering technique to deposit a Cr + Ag layer of 50 nm on the surface of the down-up taper. Such a structure effectively increases the taper ratio and hence improves the measurement sensitivity. The experimental results obtained show that in the refractive index range of 1.345-1.375, the refractive index sensitivity achieved is ∼3264.01 nm/RIU. The device has a compact size and its entire length is ∼2.75 mm. Moreover, the robustness of the device is better than that of the previously reported fiber surface plasmon resonance sensors due to its relatively large waist diameter of 40 µm for the down taper. The device is expected to have potential applications in biological and chemical sensing.

Objective: This is a single-center retrospective analysis of the clinical data of 516 patients with acute ischemic stroke who underwent intravenous thrombolysis. This study was conducted to compare the therapeutic efficacy of smokers and non-smokers., Methods: Univariate analysis was used to analyze and compare the clinical data of smokers and non-smokers. Multivariate analysis was used to assess risk factors affecting the 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score., Results: Among the 516 patients, 235 (45.5 %) were smokers. Univariate analysis showed that smokers have a better 90-day prognosis and a lower 90-day mRS score than non-smokers. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that smoking is not a protective factor affecting prognosis, while baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score was an independent risk factor affecting the 90-day functional outcome. Subgroup analysis did not determine a relationship between the 90-day mRS score and the smoking intensity and duration., Conclusion: Smoking was not associated with a good 90-day prognosis after intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) treatment. The good clinical outcome of smokers in univariate analysis was bound up with their baseline characteristics. Baseline NIHSS score was the independent risk factor that affected the 90-day outcome of AIS patients undergoing IVT., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The purpose of this paper is to ascertain the effect and mechanism of Radix Isatidis polysaccharide (RIP) on obesity., Methods: High fat diet (HFD)-induced obese rats and the MDI-induced 3T3-L1 adipocyte cells were established to evaluate the ameliorated obesity effect and mechanism from RIP., Key Findings: Experiments in vivo show that oral administration of RIP has significant preventive effects on HFD-induced obesity and metabolic disorders in rats. With treatment of RIP (20, 40 and 80 mg/kg BW), the body weight, fat accumulation, adipocyte cell size, serum lipid levels and antioxidant enzyme activity were progressively improved. On the other hand, the treatment of 3T3-L1 cells with RIP (25, 50 and 100 mg/L) led to a decrease in lipid accumulation and glucose consumption. In addition, during adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells, RIP remarkably down-regulated mRNA levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ), CCAAT/enhancer binding protein-α (C/EBPα), sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c), fatty acid synthase (FAS), acetyl-CoA carboxylase and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. Furthermore, after RIP treatment, the protein expression of PPARγ, C/EBPα, FAS, HMG-CoA reductase and acetyl-CoA synthetase-1 (AceCS1) were significantly decreased and the expression of p-AMPK was increased., Conclusion: These results highlight the potential of RIP for obesity interventions and suggest that RIP inhibited adipocyte differentiation and lipid synthesis by activating adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signalling pathway and down-regulating the expression of major adipogenic transcription factors, PPARγ, C/EBPα, etc., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Astaxanthin is a high value carotenoid with a broad range of commercial applications due to its superior antioxidant properties. In this study, β-carotene-producing Yarrowia lipolytica XK17 constructed in the lab was employed for astaxanthin biosynthesis. The catalytic effects of β-carotene ketolase CrtW and β-carotene hydroxylase CrtZ from various species were investigated. The PspCrtW from Paracoccus sp. and HpCrtZ # from Haematococcus pluvialis were confirmed to be the best combination in converting β-carotene. Several key bottlenecks in biomass and astaxanthin biosynthesis were effectively eliminated by optimizing the expression of the above enzymes and restoring uracil/leucine biosynthesis. In addition, the effects of astaxanthin biosynthesis on cell metabolism were investigated by integrated analysis of pathway modification and transcriptome information. After further optimization, strain DN30 was able to synthesize up to 730.3 mg/L astaxanthin in laboratory 5-L fermenter. This study provides a good metabolic strategy and a sustainable development platform for high-value carotenoid production., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2022 The Authors.)

The present study established a determination method of Psoraleae Fructus by quantitative analysis of multi-components by the single marker(QAMS) and further improved the thin-layer chromatography(TLC) method. The QAMS method was established by UPLC with psoralen as the internal marker, and the content of psoralenoside, isopsoralenoside, psoralen, and isopsoralen was simultaneously determined. As revealed by the comparison with results of the external standard method, the QAMS method was accurate and feasible. According to the current quality standards of Psoraleae Fructus, the TLC method was further optimized and improved, and bakuchiol was added for identification based on the original TLC method with psoralen and isopsoralen as indicators. This study provides a reference for improving the quality control method of Psoraleae Fructus.

Membrane protein efflux pumps confer antibiotic resistance by extruding structurally distinct compounds and lowering their intracellular concentration. Yet, there are no clinically approved drugs to inhibit efflux pumps, which would potentiate the efficacy of existing antibiotics rendered ineffective by drug efflux. Here we identified synthetic antigen-binding fragments (Fabs) that inhibit the quinolone transporter NorA from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Structures of two NorA-Fab complexes determined using cryo-electron microscopy reveal a Fab loop deeply inserted in the substrate-binding pocket of NorA. An arginine residue on this loop interacts with two neighboring aspartate and glutamate residues essential for NorA-mediated antibiotic resistance in MRSA. Peptide mimics of the Fab loop inhibit NorA with submicromolar potency and ablate MRSA growth in combination with the antibiotic norfloxacin. These findings establish a class of peptide inhibitors that block antibiotic efflux in MRSA by targeting indispensable residues in NorA without the need for membrane permeability., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature America, Inc.)

The Na + -dependent dicarboxylate transporter from Vibrio cholerae (VcINDY) is a prototype for the divalent anion sodium symporter (DASS) family. While the utilization of an electrochemical Na + gradient to power substrate transport is well established for VcINDY, the structural basis of this coupling between sodium and substrate binding is not currently understood. Here, using a combination of cryo-EM structure determination, succinate binding and site-directed cysteine alkylation assays, we demonstrate that the VcINDY protein couples sodium- and substrate-binding via a previously unseen cooperative mechanism by conformational selection. In the absence of sodium, substrate binding is abolished, with the succinate binding regions exhibiting increased flexibility, including HP in b, TM10b and the substrate clamshell motifs. Upon sodium binding, these regions become structurally ordered and create a proper binding site for the substrate. Taken together, these results provide strong evidence that VcINDY's conformational selection mechanism is a result of the sodium-dependent formation of the substrate binding site., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Cadmium (Cd) pollution is widely detected in soil and has been recognized as a major environmental problem. Tamarix hispida is a woody halophyte, which can form natural forest on the desert and soil with 0.5 to 1% salt content, making it an ideal plant for the research on response to abiotic stresses. However, no systematic study has investigated the molecular mechanism of Cd tolerance in T. hispida . In the study, RNA-seq technique was applied to analyze the transcriptomic changes in T. hispida treated with 150 μmol L -1 CdCl 2 for 24, 48, and 72 h compared with control. In total, 72,764 unigenes exhibited similar sequences in the Non-redundant nucleic acid database (NR database), while 36.3% of all these unigenes may be new transcripts. In addition, 6,778, 8,282, and 8,601 DEGs were detected at 24, 48, and 72 h, respectively. Functional annotation analysis indicated that many genes may be involved in Cd stress response, including ion bonding, signal transduction, stress sensing, hormone responses and ROS metabolism. A ThUGT gene from the abscisic acid (ABA) signaling pathway can enhance Cd resistance ability of T. hispida by regulating the production of ROS under Cd stress and inhibit absorption of Cd. The new transcriptome resources and data that we present in this study for T. hispida may facilitate investigation of molecular mechanisms governing Cd resistance., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Wang, Lei, Wang, Liu, Wang, Liu and Gao.)

We disclosed a visible-light-induced alkylarylation reaction of unactivated alkenes via a metal-free radical addition/aryl translocation cascade sequence. Distal olefinic sulfonate was designed as a unique molecular scaffold allowing for a domino process to synthesize valuable alkylarylated alcohols in good yields with excellent diastereoselectivity, featuring mild reaction conditions, broad substrate scope, and excellent functional group tolerance. The mechanism investigation suggests that a visible-light-induced radical chain process dominates the cascade transformation.

Background: Evidence suggests that poor mental health (MH) is a risk factor for the health of older adults. Dietary diversity is considered to be related to healthy aging. However, the relationship between diet and MH is still unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between dietary diversity score (DDS) and anxiety and depression among centenarians and their offspring and spouses., Methods: Our study was observational and cross-sectional. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), the 15-item version of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), and the dietary frequency questionnaire were used to measure the status of anxiety, depression, and dietary diversity. Data were analyzed by Student's t-test, χ2 test, Mann-Whitney U test, correlational analysis, and univariate or multivariate logistic regression., Results: Among the 288 older adults, 12.8% reported symptoms of depression, and 8.7% reported anxiety. People with a lower dietary diversity had higher rates of anxiety and depression. After controlling for age, place of residence, economic status, alcohol drinking, and physical activity, a lower DDS was found to be a risk factor for depressive symptoms [odds ratio (OR): 2.237; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.009-4.959; P=0.048]. DDS was negatively correlated with depression score in older adults (r=-0.224; P<0.001), especially offspring and their spouses (r=-0.275; P<0.001). However, no significant relationship was observed between DDS and anxiety. In addition, eating legumes (OR: 0.415; 95% CI: 0.188-0.920; P=0.030) and nuts (OR: 0.255; 95% CI: 0.116-0.561; P=0.001) at least once a week can act as protective factors for depression. Eating nuts (OR: 0.405; 95% CI: 0.168-0.978; P=0.044) and meat (OR: 0.396, 95% CI: 0.161-0.975; P=0.044) at least once a week can act as protective factors for anxiety., Conclusions: These results suggest an association between low dietary diversity and a higher incidence of mental disorders. Further, the possibility of reverse causality cannot be ruled out. It is necessary to conduct further prospective studies.

The divalent anion sodium symporter (DASS) family contains both sodium-driven anion cotransporters and anion/anion exchangers. The family belongs to a broader ion transporter superfamily (ITS), which comprises 24 families of transporters, including those of AbgT antibiotic efflux transporters. The human proteins in the DASS family play major physiological roles and are drug targets. We recently determined multiple structures of the human sodium-dependent citrate transporter (NaCT) and the succinate/dicarboxylate transporter from Lactobacillus acidophilus (LaINDY). Structures of both proteins show high degrees of structural similarity to the previously determined VcINDY fold. Conservation between these DASS protein structures and those from the AbgT family indicates that the VcINDY fold represents the overall protein structure for the entire ITS. The new structures of NaCT and LaINDY are captured in the inward- or outward-facing conformations, respectively. The domain arrangements in these structures agree with a rigid body elevator-type transport mechanism for substrate translocation across the membrane. Two separate NaCT structures in complex with a substrate or an inhibitor allowed us to explain the inhibition mechanism and propose a detailed classification scheme for grouping disease-causing mutations in the human protein. Structural understanding of multiple kinetic states of DASS proteins is a first step toward the detailed characterization of their entire transport cycle., (© 2021 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.)

Objective: This study aims to explore the relationship between advanced maternal age (AMA) and health-related quality of life in Chinese pregnant women., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Guangzhou, China between September 2018 and June 2019. Four hundred and twenty-seven AMA women and the equal number of their younger counterparts completed the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36)., Results: Compared with younger women, the AMA women were more likely to be employed; have a higher monthly household income and insurance covered; have a satisfied relationship with their husband and mother-in-law; and had a significantly lower level of physical (SF36-PCS) health-related quality of life and a higher level of mental (SF36-MCS) health-related quality of life during the pregnancy. The association of maternal age with health-related quality of life varies according with the trimester of pregnancy. Maternal age was a significant predictor of SF36-PCS and SF36-MCS. The third trimester was the significant predictor of SF36-PCS while the relationship with the mother-in-law was the significant predictor of SF36-MCS., Conclusions: The SF36-PCS in the AMA women decreased with advancing age. However, their SF36-MCS was better over their younger counterparts. Age-related biological disadvantages may be offset by social/psychological advantages in AMA women.

A new, to the best of our knowledge, type of long-period fiber grating based on inner microholes in an optical fiber core is proposed and demonstrated. The device is fabricated by first using a femtosecond laser to write a series of vertical short line structures in the core of a single-mode fiber, followed by discharge of the short line areas with a fusion splicer. Owing to the high temperature generated, the line structure rapidly expands and forms an inner microhole. The device is found to have good high temperature sustainability up to 1000°C, with a sensitivity of approximately 13 pm/°C and its strain and bending sensitivities are approximately -1.57 pm/µɛ and -5.198 dB/m -1 , in the ranges of 0-800 µɛ and 0-0.77 m -1 , respectively. It is expected that the device can contribute to the multi-parameter sensing and detection of high temperature in harsh environments.

Objective: Pregnant women with recurrent miscarriage have high rates of anxiety and depression. Mindfulness-based interventions have shown benefits in improving mental health in diverse populations; however, few studies have explored their efficacy in pregnant women with recurrent miscarriage, which was investigated in the present study., Design: A nonrandomized controlled study was carried out from August 2019 to November 2020., Setting: The study was conducted at a regional teaching hospital in Guangzhou, China that provides leading care for recurrent miscarriage., Participants: A total of 158 pregnant women with recurrent miscarriage were recruited and allocated to the intervention group (n = 79) or the control group (n = 79); 131 women completed the study., Intervention: The mindfulness-based intervention consisted of a 1-h education session and daily mindfulness exercises guided by audio recordings during hospitalization., Measurements and Findings: Study outcomes included perceived stress measured with the Perceived Stress Scale; symptoms of anxiety and depression measured with the Self-rating Anxiety Scale and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, respectively; and positive and negative affect measured with the Positive Affect and Negative Affect Scale - Revised, respectively. Compared to the control group, participants in the intervention group showed significant decreases in perceived stress, depression symptoms, and negative affect and an increase in positive affect after the intervention. Anxiety increased significantly in the control group during the study but remained unchanged in the intervention group., Key Conclusions: A mindfulness-based intervention can reduce psychological symptoms and improve mental health in pregnant women with recurrent miscarriage., Implications for Practice: A mindfulness-based intervention should be incorporated into routine care to help improve the mental health of pregnant women with recurrent miscarriage., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Developing micrometer-nanometer size optical fiber sensors has promising application prospects in microenvironments, such as biological cells, micro robots, and microfluids. We propose a new strategy to fabricate a microfiber sensor probe (MSP). A femtosecond laser was applied to integrate cascaded Fabry-Perot interferometers (FPIs) into a silica microfiber. And a MSP with diameter of ∼8µ m , extinction ratio of 15 dB, fitness of 24.6, and Q-factor of 2310 was demonstrated in the experiment. In addition, the MSP was applied for the refractive index and thermal measurement and the sensitivity was observed to be 10 pm/°C and 18.5 nm/RIU. The two-beam approximation model was applied to analyze the spectrum, and simulations were taken to research the refractive index sensitivity influenced by the fiber size.

Objective: To evaluate the auditory efficacy and subjective satisfaction of adhesive bone conduction hearing aid in children with unilateral congenital aural atresia (UCAA). Methods: Ten subjects (5 males and 5 females) diagnosed with UCAA with an average age of 8.3 years old (ranged from 5 to 15) were included in Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University from January to August 2019. The free sound field hearing threshold, word recognition score in quiet, speech reception threshold in noise and sound localization ability (results were measured by RMS error) tests were performed in unaided and aided situation, respectively. Subjective satisfaction questionnaires were also distributed to subjects. Paired t test and Wilcoxon signed rank test were used as statistical analysis methods. Results: The average hearing threshold in aided condition was improved by (21.9±4.4) dB ( t =15.8， P <0.05). Speech recognition abilities were generally improved both under quiet and noise ( P <0.05);however, when the binaural summation, squelch and head shadow effects were analyzed respectively, the binaural squelch effect was not statistically improved ( P >0.05), while the other effects were improved in aided condition ( P <0.05). In sound localization test, there was no significant difference of the RMS error value between the unaided and aided situation ( P >0.05). The subjects got high satisfaction rates in three subjective questionnaires. Conclusion: The adhesive bone conduction hearing aid can provide significant audiological benefit for children with UCAA as well as raising the quality of their life.

A saturable absorber based on a graphene layer covered single-mode fiber with inner short waveguides is proposed and demonstrated for a linear cavity Er-doped mode-locked fiber laser. A pair of short waveguides is written in the fiber by using femtosecond micromachining technology, and the propagating light is guided by one short waveguide to the cladding-air interface and interacts with the graphene layer in the form of evanescent waves before being collected back to the core by another short waveguide, and, as a result, the saturable absorption is excited. The designed saturable absorber is used in the passively mode-locked fiber laser to generate traditional soliton mode-locked pulse output with the center wavelength of 1564.9 nm and pulse width of 758 fs at the fundamental frequency of 22.58 MHz. The fabricated saturable absorber device is stable in operation, compact in structure, safe for thermal damage, and can effectively overcome the shortcomings of poor robustness of the saturable absorbers based on a tapered fiber and D-shaped fiber. This provides a new optical coupling scheme for saturable absorbers based on 2D materials such as graphene and has great potential application in the field of ultrashort pulse lasers.

Objective: To study the effect of the inhibitor of Notch signaling pathway-γ-secretase inhibitor DAPT on the ultrastructures of middle ear in the ovalbumin (OVA)-mediated allergic OME in vivo . Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, weighing 250-300 g, were completely and randomly divided into three groups (5 rats, 10 ears in each group):(1)Control group(2)OME group(3)OME+DAPT group. Rats in the OME group underwent systemic and local sensitization by intraperitoneal and intratympanic injection of ovalbumin to make the model of OVA-induced OME. Rats in the control group were sensitized with PBS. On the basis of establishing the OME model, OME+DAPT group were intraperitoneal injected with DAPT (10 mg/kg) for seven consecutive days and were administered before intratympanic injection of ovalbumin. After the model was successfully established, endoscopy,H&E staining and scanning electron microscopy were used to study the histology and mucous-ciliary ultrastructures of the non-ciliated and ciliated mucosa in the middle ear of each group. One-way ANOVA and Tukey methods were used for statistical analysis. Results: H&E staining showed that the three groups had statistically significant differences in submucosal thickness both in non-ciliated and ciliated regions (non-ciliated area:(6.83±1.47)μm, (38.58±9.57)μm, (32.17±11.89)μm, respectively. F =107.9;cilia area:(26.69±3.22)μm, (30.41±6.75)μm, (26.76±4.06)μm, respectively. F =5.62,both P <0.01). The thickness of the submucosa in the non-ciliated area and the cilia area of the OME group were significantly thicker than that of control group ( F =42.08 and 4.40,both P <0.05); the thickness of the non-ciliated area and the ciliated area in OME+DAPT group were reduced compared to OME group( F =1.55 and 2.77,both P <0.05). Scanning electron microscopy showed that the array of cilia on the middle ear mucosa was disorderly arranged and inversed, this phenomenon was relieved in the OME+DAPT group. The number of goblet cells in the control group, OME group, and OME+DAPT group were 9.87±1.92; 15.67±5.77; 10.33±1.99 respectively and the difference between them was statistically significant ( F =11.43, P <0.01). The number of goblet cells in the OME group were significantly higher than those in the control group ( F =9.00, P <0.01) and the number of goblet cells in the OME+DAPT group were decreased compared to those of OME group ( F =8.41, P <0.01). Conclusions: The study demonstrates the pathological changes of the ultrastructure in middle ear in OVA-induced OME and the effect of the γ-secretase inhibitor on it. In OME group, the cilia are disorderly arranged and inversed, the number of goblet cell is increased and they are swelled which suggest the hypersecretion of the mucus. DAPT can regulate OVA-induced allergic inflammation and relieve pathological changes of ultrastructure in middle ear mucociliary transport system through alleviating submucosal inflammation, reducing the hypersecretion of goblet cell and the morphological damage of cilia through the Notch signaling pathway.

Objective: To explore the methods and clinical effects of the surgery for treating maxillary medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ). Methods: The clinical data including gender, age, stage of lesion, treatment method and prognosis of 28 patients with maxillary MRONJ who underwent surgical treatment in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of Medical School of Nanjing University from January 2013 to October 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 20 males and 8 females. The mean age at onset was (65.6±11.1) years old. According to the guidelines of American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, the patients' lesions were divided into 2 or 3 stages. Ten cases of stage 2 lesions were tightly sutured after partial jaw resection. Among them, 4 lesions were sutured directly with mucoperiosteal flaps, 4 lesions were covered by adjacent flaps and 2 lesions was covered by buccal fat pad flaps and adjacent flaps. Eighteen cases of stage 3 lesions were treated with sequestrectomy and drainage channels were formed. Patients were followed up regularly after the surgery, and the effect of surgical treatment was judged according to the clinical criteria such as clinical manifestations, local oral examination, imaging examination etc. Results: After follow-up for 12 to 52 months, the postoperative pain score (1.20±2.53) was significantly lower than preoperative pain score (6.70±0.95) ( P <0.05) in stage 2 patients. Eight patients' mucosa healed completely without new dead bone formed. Two patients had recurrence and developed to stage 3 at the time of revisit. There were 18 cases of stage 3 lesions, which formed drainage channels after removal of the dead bone. The postoperative follow-up time was 2 to 67 months, and the symptoms of inflammation and infection disappeared. Postoperative pain score (3.40±0.51) was significantly lower than preoperative pain score (7.06±1.00) ( P <0.05). Conclusions: Soft tissue flap closure of wound after partial maxillectomy is an effective approach for the treatment of maxillary MRONJ stage 2 lesions, while maxillary stage 3 lesions could be treated for eliminating clinical symptoms and improving the quality of life when establishing unobstructed drainage after dead bone extraction.

An ultra-high sensitivity Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) strain sensor is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. It is composed of a biconical fiber with a bulge air-bubble at its waist. Because of the good stress concentration capability of the tapered fiber, the bulge air-bubble is easily deformed when it is stressed, resulting in an ultra-high strain sensitivity of 101.7 pm/µɛ, which is the highest strain sensitivity among the direct wavelength interrogation-based strain sensors reported so far, to the best of our knowledge. Moreover, the proposed sensor has a low temperature sensitivity of ∼1 p m / ∘ C ; thus an extreme low temperature cross sensitivity of less than 10 nɛ/°C can be achieved.

Objective: To investigate the feasibility and safety of auricle reconstruction combined with Bonebridge implantation for bilateral aural atresia patients. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted for 36 cases(72 ears) who underwent Bonebridge implantation combined with bilateral auricle reconstruction from February 1, 2017 to January 15, 2020. All cases were bilateral congenital aural atresia and underwent Nagata auricle reconstruction for both sides simultaneously. Bonebridge implantations were performed during the second stage of auricle reconstruction. Results: All 36 patients healed well and had no surgical complications when discharged. The preoperative average bone conduction threshold of the patients was(8.5±5.8) dB HL and postoperative bone conduction threshold was (8.4±5.2) dB HL. There was no significant change after the implantation ( P =0.724). The preoperative average air conduction threshold of was(64.9±7.4)dB HL and postoperative air conduction threshold was (24.0±5.3) dB HL, which had a significant change after the implantation ( P <0.001). The hearing threshold with Bonebridge significantly decreased by 40.9 dB HL compared with the preoperative air conduction threshold( P <0.001). The speech recognition rate of monosyllable words, disyllabic words and short sentences in quiet environment increased by 62.5%, 63.5% and 72.2% respectively. The differences were statistically significant ( P <0.001). The speech recognition rate of monosyllabic words, disyllabic words and short sentences in noise environment were significantly increased by 55.9%, 58.9% and 69.9% respectively ( P <0.001). After a follow-up of 18.3 months in average, the hearing results were stable and the aesthetic outcomes were satisfied. One patient had implant rupture and healed after revision surgery. Conclusions: With an integrated surgical procedure, patients with bilateral congenital aural atresia can complete bilateral auricle reconstruction and hearing implantation within six months. This integrated surgical procedure is safe and efficient, with a stable hearing improvement and good appearance.

In this work, we developed a digital microfluidic platform based on a shape memory micropillar array responsive to near-infrared light, and the droplets were programmatically manipulated through light-induced micropillar deformation. The micropillar array was constructed on the surface of a poly(ethylene-vinyl acetate) copolymer, a shape memory polymer sensitive to near-infrared light. Before droplet manipulation, the micropillar array was kept temporarily tilted by heating and pressing. Under the irradiation of a near-infrared laser, the micropillar array achieved the transition from the temporary shape to the original shape. Temperature gradient and micropillar deformation caused by near-infrared light irradiation produce the driving force for droplet movement. The movement of the laser mounted on an electronically controlled displacement platform was controlled by a computer to achieve the programmed control of the droplets. Moreover, we demonstrated light-manipulated droplet movement and fusion, and achieved ascorbic acid detection using this digital microfluidic platform. In particular, the micropillar array chip is able to manipulate droplets in a wide range of 0.1 μL to 10 μL. The proposed digital microfluidic platform will broaden the application of digital microfluidic technology in analytical chemistry and biomedicine.

An optical fiber sensor based on a fiber surface waveguide and Bragg grating is proposed for a simultaneous refractive index (RI) and temperature sensing. The device consists of two fiber Bragg gratings fabricated by a femtosecond laser, one of which is situated in the fiber core for temperature sensing; the other is located in the fiber surface waveguide for both temperature and RI measurements. The RI and temperature sensitivities achieved are 10.3 nm/RIU and 9.94 pm/°C, respectively. The device is featured with a compact structure, high robustness, and convenient operation.