Jacobian Methods for Dynamic Polarization Control in Optical Applications

Dynamic polarization control (DPC) is beneficial for many optical applications. It uses adjustable waveplates to perform automatic polarization tracking and manipulation. Efficient algorithms are essential to realizing an endless polarization control process at high speed. However, the standard gradientbased algorithm is not well analyzed. Here we model the DPC with a Jacobian-based control theory framework that finds a lot in common with robot kinematics. We then give a detailed analysis of the condition of the Stokes vector gradient as a Jacobian matrix. We identify the multi-stage DPC as a redundant system enabling control algorithms with null-space operations. An efficient, reset-free algorithm can be found. We anticipate more customized DPC algorithms to follow the same framework in various optical systems

A real-world pharmacovigilance study of FDA adverse event reporting system events for diazepam

Background: Diazepam, one of the benzodiazepines, is widely used clinically to treat anxiety, for termination of epilepsy, and for sedation. However, the reports of its adverse events (AEs) have been numerous, and even fatal complications have been reported. In this study, we investigated the AEs of diazepam based on real data from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) adverse event reporting system (FAERS).Methods: Disproportionality in diazepam-associated AEs was assessed through the calculation of reporting odds ratios (RORs), proportional reporting ratios (PRRs), Bayesian confidence–propagation neural networks (BCPNNs), and gamma-Poisson shrinkage (GPS).Results: Among the 19,514,140 case reports in the FAERS database, 15,546 reports with diazepam as the “principal suspect (PS)" AEs were identified. Diazepam-induced AEs occurred targeting 27 system organ categories (SOCs). Based on four algorithms, a total of 391 major disproportionate preferred terms (PTs) were filtered out. Unexpectedly significant AEs such as congenital nystagmus, developmental delays, and rhabdomyolysis were noted, which were not mentioned in the drug insert.Conclusion: Our study identified potential signals of new AEs that could provide strong support for clinical monitoring and risk identification of diazepam

Mussel-Inspired and Bioclickable Peptide Engineered Surface to Combat Thrombosis and Infection

Thrombosis and infections are the two major complications associated with extracorporeal circuits and indwelling medical devices, leading to significant mortality in clinic. To address this issue, here, we report a biomimetic surface engineering strategy by the integration of mussel-inspired adhesive peptide, with bio-orthogonal click chemistry, to tailor the surface functionalities of tubing and catheters. Inspired by mussel adhesive foot protein, a bioclickable peptide mimic (DOPA)(4)-azide-based structure is designed and grafted on an aminated tubing robustly based on catechol-amine chemistry. Then, the dibenzylcyclooctyne (DBCO) modified nitric oxide generating species of 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA) chelated copper ions and the DBCO-modified antimicrobial peptide (DBCO-AMP) are clicked onto the grafted surfaces via bio-orthogonal reaction. The combination of the robustly grafted AMP and Cu-DOTA endows the modified tubing with durable antimicrobial properties and ability in long-term catalytically generating NO from endogenous s-nitrosothiols to resist adhesion/activation of platelets, thus preventing the formation of thrombosis. Overall, this biomimetic surface engineering technology provides a promising solution for multicomponent surface functionalization and the surface bioengineering of biomedical devices with enhanced clinical performance.Peer reviewe

Role of Vitamin C in Skin Diseases

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) plays an important role in maintaining skin health and can promote the differentiation of keratinocytes and decrease melanin synthesis, leading to antioxidant protection against UV-induced photodamage. Normal skin needs high concentrations of vitamin C, which plays many roles in the skin, including the formation of the skin barrier and collagen in the dermis, the ability to counteract skin oxidation, and the modulation of cell signal pathways of cell growth and differentiation. However, vitamin C deficiency can cause or aggravate the occurrence and development of some skin diseases, such as atopic dermatitis (AD) and porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT). Levels of vitamin C in plasma are decreased in AD, and vitamin C deficiency may be one of the factors that contributes to the pathogenesis of PCT. On the other hand, high doses of vitamin C have significantly reduced cancer cell viability, as well as invasiveness, and induced apoptosis in human malignant melanoma. In this review, we will summarize the effects of vitamin C on four skin diseases (porphyria cutanea tarda, atopic dermatitis, malignant melanoma, and herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia) and highlight the potential of vitamin C as a therapeutic strategy to treat these diseases, emphasizing the clinical application of vitamin C as an adjuvant for drugs or physical therapy in other skin diseases

Mussel-Inspired and Bioclickable Peptide Engineered Surface to Combat Thrombosis and Infection

Thrombosis and infections are the two major complications associated with extracorporeal circuits and indwelling medical devices, leading to significant mortality in clinic. To address this issue, here, we report a biomimetic surface engineering strategy by the integration of mussel-inspired adhesive peptide, with bio-orthogonal click chemistry, to tailor the surface functionalities of tubing and catheters. Inspired by mussel adhesive foot protein, a bioclickable peptide mimic (DOPA)(4)-azide-based structure is designed and grafted on an aminated tubing robustly based on catechol-amine chemistry. Then, the dibenzylcyclooctyne (DBCO) modified nitric oxide generating species of 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA) chelated copper ions and the DBCO-modified antimicrobial peptide (DBCO-AMP) are clicked onto the grafted surfaces via bio-orthogonal reaction. The combination of the robustly grafted AMP and Cu-DOTA endows the modified tubing with durable antimicrobial properties and ability in long-term catalytically generating NO from endogenous s-nitrosothiols to resist adhesion/activation of platelets, thus preventing the formation of thrombosis. Overall, this biomimetic surface engineering technology provides a promising solution for multicomponent surface functionalization and the surface bioengineering of biomedical devices with enhanced clinical performance

Cigarette Flavouring Regulation by Using Aroma-producing Microorganism Isolated from Maotai Daqu

The selected Moutai aromatic microorganisms and their metabolites were applied into the fermentation of tobacco leaves in order to improve the tobacco quality. The results showed that a variety of aromatic substances in Moutai, as well as the typical flavor substances commonly used in cigarettes, were detected in the fermented tobacco leaf extract. In view of the GC-MS results as well as the sensory smoking evaluation of tobacco leaf extracts under designed experimental conditions, the optimal parameters of stable single-strain fermentation process was at 40 ℃ for 10-15 days. The results of specific effects of different fermentation conditions on the content of aroma substances in different parts of tobacco leaves after fermentation, as well as the subsequent sensory evaluation, provided basic data for the improvement of tobacco fermentation and aroma flavoring technology, which was conducive to the development of new cigarettes

Safety and immunogenicity of a modified Omicron-adapted inactivated vaccine in healthy adults: a randomized, double-blind, active-controlled Phase III clinical trial

BackgroundUpdated vaccine strategies are needed to protect against new SARS-CoV-2 variants with increased immune escape. Here, information on the safety and immunogenicity of an inactivated Omicron-adapted vaccine is presented, as compared with CoronaVac.MethodsA randomized, double-blind, active-controlled, phase III clinical trial was conducted to compare a modified Omicron-adapted vaccine (Omicron vaccine) with the authorized prototype vaccine (CoronaVac®) as a booster dose. Healthy adults aged ≥18 years, who have previously received 2 or 3 doses of CoronaVac (2C or 3C cohort) at least 6 months before, were enrolled to get a booster dose of Omicron vaccine or CoronaVac in a ratio of 2:1 (2C/3C+1O/1C). Back-up serums after two initial doses of CoronaVac (2C+0) for adults aged 26-45 years were collected from a previous study. Immunogenicity and safety data at 28 days after vaccination were collected and analyzed. One of the primary objectives was to evaluate the superiority of immunogenicity of Omicron vaccine booster against Omicron BA.1, compared with CoronaVac booster against BA.1. Another objective was to evaluate the non-inferiority of immunogenicity of Omicron vaccine booster against BA.1, compared with two initial doses of CoronaVac against ancestral strain.ResultsBetween June 1st and July 21st, 2022, a total of 1,500 healthy adults were enrolled. Results show that all pre-specified superiority criteria for BA.1 neutralizing antibody were met. Specifically, within the 3C cohort (3C+1O vs. 3C+1C), the geometric mean titers’ (GMT) ratio and 95% confidence interval (CI) was 1.64 (1.42, 1.89), with the lower 95%CI ≥1; a GMT ratio of 1.84 (1.57, 2.16) was observed for 2C+1O versus 3C+1C. For seroconversion rate, the lower 95%CIs of differences between immuno-comparative groups (2/3C+1O vs. 3C+1C) were all above the superiority criterion 0%. However, the non-inferiority criterion of the lower 95%CI of GMT ratio ≥2/3 was unfulfilled for 2C/3C+1O against BA.1 versus 2C+0 against ancestral strain. Safety profiles were similar between groups, with no safety concerns identified.ConclusionThe Omicron-adapted vaccine was well-tolerated and could elicit superior immune responses as compared with CoronaVac against Omicron, while it appeared inferior to CoronaVac against ancestral strain.Clinical trial registrationhttps://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05381350?term=NCT05381350&draw=2&rank=1, identifier NCT05381350

Involvement of microRNA Lethal-7a in the Regulation of Embryo Implantation in Mice

MicroRNAs interact with multiple mRNAs resulting in their degradation and/or translational repression. This report used the delayed implantation model to determine the role of miRNAs in blastocysts. Dormant blastocysts in delayed implanting mice were activated by estradiol. Differential expression of 45 out of 238 miRNAs examined was found between the dormant and the activated blastocysts. Five of the nine members of the microRNA lethal-7 (let-7) family were down-regulated after activation. Human blastocysts also had a low expression of let-7 family. Forced-expression of a family member, let-7a in mouse blastocysts decreased the number of implantation sites (let-7a: 1.1±0.4; control: 3.8±0.4) in vivo, and reduced the percentages of blastocyst that attached (let-7a: 42.0±8.3%; control: 79.0±5.1%) and spreaded (let-7a: 33.5±2.9%; control: 67.3±3.8%) on fibronectin in vitro. Integrin-β3, a known implantation-related molecule, was demonstrated to be a target of let-7a by 3′-untranslated region reporter assay in cervical cancer cells HeLa, and Western blotting in mouse blastocysts. The inhibitory effect of forced-expression of let-7a on blastocyst attachment and outgrowth was partially nullified in vitro and in vivo by forced-expression of integrin-β3. This study provides the first direct evidence that let-7a is involved in regulating the implantation process partly via modulation of the expression of integrin-β3. (200 words)

Figures 35-39 from: Li K, Liang H (2018) A comparative study of external female genitalia (including the 8 th and 9 th abdominal segments) in the family Megalopodidae and other related families of Chrysomeloidea. ZooKeys 762: 69-104. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.762.22163

The external female genitalia of 29 species belonging to three genera of Megalopodidae and 80 species belonging to 61 genera of another four families in Chrysomeloidea were studied. The external female genitalia within the superfamily Chrysomeloidea can be divided into a cerambycid type and a chrysomelid type. The comparative study of external female genitalia shows Megalopodidae is more closely related to the family Cerambycidae than to the family Chrysomelidae s.l. Among five subfamilies of Cerambycidae we studied, the subfamily Lamiinae is most closely allied to Megalopodidae. An evolutionary path is proposed for the spiculum gastrale in Chrysomeloidea: the characteristic state of the spiculum gastrale without a joint is primary, and that with a joint is secondary. The family Orsodacnidae has probably evolved in isolation from the early chrysomelids, due to their shared external female genitalia (cerambycid type). In the family Chrysomelidae, the structure of external female genitalia and ovipositing behavior show that the subfamily Synetinae is closer to the Camptosomata than the subfamily Eumolpinae. In general, the shape of the terminal ovipositor is palp-like in the Chrysomeloidea. Terminal ovipositors are generally palp-shaped in Chrysomeloidea except for those that are lamellate in the genus Callispa and the subfamily Cassidinae who produce egg-sheaths