Abnormal Stop Band Behavior Induced by Rotational Resonance in Flexural Metamaterial

This paper investigates abnormal stop band behavior of resonance-based flexural elastic metamaterials under the rotational resonance motion. Due to the unique physics of flexural waves, we found that the stop band generated by the rotational resonance motion exhibits peculiar behavior which are quite different from general belief - it is shown that the negativity due to the rotational resonance does not provide any stop bands and the stop band generation due to the rotational resonance is governed by totally different band gap condition. To explain the peculiar behavior, a discrete Timoshenko beam model with both effective mass and rotational inertia as independent variables is introduced, and the wave behaviors of resonance-based flexural elastic metamaterial are precisely and fully described. The unique band gap condition, including the peculiar behavior, is derived with numerical validations. We expect our new model can provide a strong background for various flexural elastic metamaterials which can be effectively applied in various vibration devices

Observation of a ppb mass threshoud enhancement in \psi^\prime\to\pi^+\pi^-J/\psi(J/\psi\to\gamma p\bar{p}) decay

The decay channel $\psi^\prime\to\pi^+\pi^-J/\psi(J/\psi\to\gamma p\bar{p})$ is studied using a sample of $1.06\times 10^8$ $\psi^\prime$ events collected by the BESIII experiment at BEPCII. A strong enhancement at threshold is observed in the $p\bar{p}$ invariant mass spectrum. The enhancement can be fit with an $S$-wave Breit-Wigner resonance function with a resulting peak mass of $M=1861^{+6}_{-13} {\rm (stat)}^{+7}_{-26} {\rm (syst)} {\rm MeV/}c^2$ and a narrow width that is $\Gamma<38 {\rm MeV/}c^2$ at the 90% confidence level. These results are consistent with published BESII results. These mass and width values do not match with those of any known meson resonance.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Chinese Physics

Oridonin induces apoptosis and senescence in colorectal cancer cells by increasing histone hyperacetylation and regulation of p16, p21, p27 and c-myc

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Oridonin, a tetracycline diterpenoid compound, has the potential antitumor activities. Here, we evaluate the antitumor activity and action mechanisms of oridonin in colorectal cancer.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Effects of oridonin on cell proliferation were determined by using a CCK-8 Kit. Cell cycle distribution was determined by flow cytometry. Apoptosis was examined by analyzing subdiploid population and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling assay. Senescent cells were determined by senescence-associated β-galactosidase activity analysis. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR was used to examine the changes of mRNA of p16, p21, p27 and c-myc. The concomitant changes of protein expression were analyzed with Western blot. Expression of AcH3 and AcH4 were examined by immunofluorescence staining and Western blots. Effects of oridonin on colony formation of SW1116 were examined by Soft Agar assay. The in vivo efficacy of oridonin was detected using a xenograft colorectal cancer model in nude mice.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Oridonin induced potent growth inhibition, cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, senescence and colony-forming inhibition in three colorectal cancer cell lines in a dose-dependent manner in vitro. Daily i.p. injection of oridonin (6.25, 12.5 or 25 mg/kg) for 28 days significantly inhibited the growth of SW1116 s.c. xenografts in BABL/C nude mice. With western blot and reverse transcription-PCR, we further showed that the antitumor activities of oridonin correlated with induction of histone (H3 and H4) hyperacetylation, activation of p21, p27 and p16, and suppression of c-myc expression.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Oridonin possesses potent in vitro and in vivo anti-colorectal cancer activities that correlated with induction of histone hyperacetylation and regulation of pathways critical for maintaining growth inhibition and cell cycle arrest. Therefore, oridonin may represent a novel therapeutic option in colorectal cancer treatment.</p

Extreme stiffness hyperbolic elastic metamaterial for total transmission subwavelength imaging

Subwavelength imaging by metamaterials and extended work to pursue total transmission has been successfully demonstrated with electromagnetic and acoustic waves very recently. However, no elastic counterpart has been reported because earlier attempts suffer from considerable loss. Here, for the first time, we realize an elastic hyperbolic metamaterial lens and experimentally show total transmission subwavelength imaging with measured wave field inside the metamaterial lens. The main idea is to compensate for the decreased impedance in the perforated elastic metamaterial by utilizing extreme stiffness, which has not been independently actualized in a continuum elastic medium so far. The fabricated elastic lens is capable of directly transferring subwavelength information from the input to the output boundary. In the experiment, this intriguing phenomenon is confirmed by scanning the elastic structures inside the lens with laser scanning vibrometer. The proposed elastic metamaterial lens will bring forth significant guidelines for ultrasonic imaging techniquesope

Trends in Notifiable Infectious Diseases in China: Implications for Surveillance and Population Health Policy

This study aimed to analyse trends in notifiable infectious diseases in China, in their historical context. Both English and Chinese literature was searched and diseases were categorised according to the type of disease or transmission route. Temporal trends of morbidity and mortality rates were calculated for eight major infectious diseases types. Strong government commitment to public health responses and improvements in quality of life has led to the eradication or containment of a wide range of infectious diseases in China. The overall infectious diseases burden experienced a dramatic drop during 1975–1995, but since then, it reverted and maintained a gradual upward trend to date. Most notifiable diseases are contained at a low endemic level; however, local small-scale outbreaks remain common. Tuberculosis, as a bacterial infection, has re-emerged since the 1990s and has become prevalent in the country. Sexually transmitted infections are in a rapid, exponential growth phase, spreading from core groups to the general population. Together human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), they account for 39% of all death cases due to infectious diseases in China in 2008. Zoonotic infections, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), rabies and influenza, pose constant threats to Chinese residents and remain the most deadly disease type among the infected individuals. Therefore, second-generation surveillance of behavioural risks or vectors associated with pathogen transmission should be scaled up. It is necessary to implement public health interventions that target HIV and relevant coinfections, address transmission associated with highly mobile populations, and reduce the risk of cross-species transmission of zoonotic pathogens

Immune Events Associated with High Level Protection against Schistosoma japonicum Infection in Pigs Immunized with UV-Attenuated Cercariae

BACKGROUND: The vaccination of radiation-attenuated Schistosoma japonicum cercariae can induce effective protection in artiodactyl, but the immune events related to protective immunity are not fully understood. To provide a paradigm for a human recombinant antigen vaccine, we have undertaken a vaccination and challenge experiment in pigs, which was recognized as an appropriate animal model in this type of study because of their similarity to human in immunology, and investigated the relative immune events induced by the radiation-attenuated S. japonicum cercariae. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We found that pigs immunized once with 400 µw UV-irradiated cercariae exhibited 63.84% and 71.82% reductions in worm burden and hepatic eggs respectively. Protective immunity in vaccinated pigs was associated with high level productions of IgM, total IgG, IgG1 and IgG2; IgG2 was significantly increased in the acute infection. IFN-γ levels could be elicited by immunization. At week 6 post-infection, IFN-γ, IL-4 and IL-10 levels also showed a dramatic rise synchronously in vaccinated pigs. Moreover, the granzyme b, nk-lysin, ifnγ, il4 and il10 mRNA levels in early skin-draining lymph nodes of immunized pigs were higher than those in pigs with non-irradiated cercariae infection. In addition, cytotoxicity-related genes in the mesenteric lymph nodes were significantly upregulated in vaccinated pigs in the acute infection. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results demonstrated that IFN-γ and IgG2 antibody production, as well as genes related to cytotoxicity are associated with the high level protection induced by UV-irradiated Schistosoma japonicum vaccine. These findings indicated that optimal vaccination against S. japonicum required the induction of IFN-γ, IgG2 antibody related to Th1 responses and cytotoxicity effect

Quantifying Quality of Life and Disability of Patients with Advanced Schistosomiasis Japonica

Advanced schistosomiasis japonica, an extreme form of chronic schistosomiasis that occurs in Asia, is more serious than the advanced hepatosplenic disease of schistosomiasis encountered in Africa and the Americas. The advanced schistosomiasis japonica is a chronic disabling condition associated with portal hypertension, splenomegaly, ascites, and gastro-oesophageal variceal bleeding, or with severe growth retardation or granulomatous disease of the large intestine. However, the actual disability caused by advanced schistosomiasis japonica is unknown. We carried out a patient-based quality-of-life evaluation employing a standardized and widely used questionnaire (known as “EQ-5D plus”), coupled with ultrasonography and laboratory tests on advanced schistosomiasis japonica cases in a hyperendemic area of China. Among 215 confirmed cases of advanced schistosomiasis japonica, we found an overall disability weight of 0.447 with age-specific weights ranging from 0.378 to 0.510. Importantly, advanced schistosomiasis japonica is not only associated with heavy disability weights, but also with high morbidity and poor self-reported quality of life. Our results provide valuable data for the current revision of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study, as well as for evidence-based decision-making in China's national schistosomiasis control program

International expert consensus on the management of bleeding during VATS lung surgery

Intraoperative bleeding is the most crucial safety concern of video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) for a major pulmonary resection. Despite the advances in surgical techniques and devices, intraoperative bleeding is still not rare and remains the most common and potentially fatal cause of conversion from VATS to open thoracotomy. Therefore, to guide the clinical practice of VATS lung surgery, we proposed the International Interest Group on Bleeding during VATS Lung Surgery with 65 experts from 10 countries in the field to develop this consensus document. The consensus was developed based on the literature reports and expert experience from different countries. The causes and incidence of intraoperative bleeding were summarised first. Seven situations of intraoperative bleeding were collected based on clinical practice, including the bleeding from massive vessel injuries, bronchial arteries, vessel stumps, and bronchial stumps, lung parenchyma, lymph nodes, incisions, and the chest wall. The technical consensus for the management of intraoperative bleeding was achieved on these seven surgical situations by six rounds of repeated revision. Following expert consensus statements were achieved: (I) Bleeding from major vascular injuries: direct compression with suction, retracted lung, or rolled gauze is useful for bleeding control. The size and location of the vascular laceration are evaluated to decide whether the bleeding can be stopped by direct compression or by ligation. If suturing is needed, the suction-compressing angiorrhaphy technique (SCAT) is recommended. Timely conversion to thoracotomy with direct compression is required if the operator lacks experience in thoracoscopic angiorrhaphy. (II) Bronchial artery bleeding: pre-emptive clipping of bronchial artery before bronchial dissection or lymph node dissection can reduce the incidence of bleeding. Bronchial artery bleeding can be stopped by compression with the suction tip, followed by the handling of the vascular stump with energy devices or clips. (III) Bleeding from large vessel stumps and bronchial stumps: bronchial stump bleeding mostly comes from accompanying bronchial artery, which can be clipped for hemostasis. Compression for hemostasis is usually effective for bleeding at the vascular stump. Otherwise, additional use of hemostatic materials, re-staple or a suture may be necessary. (IV) Bleeding from the lung parenchyma: coagulation hemostasis is the first choice. For wounds with visible air leakage or an insufficient hemostatic effect of coagulation, suturing may be necessary. (V) Bleeding during lymph node dissection: non-grasping en-bloc lymph node dissection is recommended for the nourishing vessels of the lymph node are addressed first with this technique. If bleeding occurs at the site of lymph node dissection, energy devices can be used for hemostasis, sometimes in combination with hemostatic materials. (VI) Bleeding from chest wall incisions: the chest wall incision(s) should always be made along the upper edge of the rib(s), with good hemostasis layer by layer. Recheck the incision for hemostasis before closing the chest is recommended. (VII) Internal chest wall bleeding: it can usually be managed with electrocoagulation. For diffuse capillary bleeding with the undefined bleeding site, compression of the wound with gauze may be helpful