Insight into aspheric misfit with hard tools: mapping the island of low mid-spatial frequencies

This paper addresses computer numerical control (CNC) polishing of aspheric or freeform optics. Prior CNC grinding of the asphere tends to produce mid-spatial frequencies (MSFs) at some level. Precessions polishing can rectify these, but the very ability of the bonnet tooling to adapt to the local asphere enables it to do so, at least in part, to similar spatial frequencies in the MSFs. To accelerate smoothing, hard tools can, in principle, be used, but aspheric misfit is often assumed to preclude this. In this paper, we explore new insight into the role of abrasive particle size in accommodating misfit. First, we report on a glass-bending rig to produce a continuous range of complex surfaces, while withstanding process forces. Then, we describe how this was used to evaluate the triangle of misfit, abrasive size, and MSFs produced for hard rotating tools. This has revealed a regime in which such tools can be used without introducing significant new MSFs, as evidenced by manufacture of prototype off-axis aspheric segments for the European Extremely Large Telescope project

Three-dimensional resolution-enhancement divided aperture correlation-differential confocal microscopy with nanometer axial focusing capability

Divided aperture confocal microscopy (DACM) provides an improved imaging depth, imaging contrast, and working distance at the expense of spatial resolution. Here, we present a new method-divided aperture correlation-differential confocal microscopy (DACDCM) to improve the DACM resolution and the focusing capability, without changing the DACM configuration. DACDCM divides the DACM image spot into two round regions symmetrical about the optical axis. Then the light intensity signals received simultaneously from two round regions by a charge-coupled device (CCD) are processed by correlation manipulation and differential subtraction to improve the DACM spatial resolution and axial focusing capability, respectively. Theoretical analysis and preliminary experiments indicate that, for the excitation wavelength of λ = 632.8 nm, numerical aperture NA = 0.8, and normalized offset vM = 3.2 of the two regions, the DACDCM resolution is improved by 32.5% and 43.1% in the x and z directions, simultaneously, compared with that of the DACM. The axial focusing resolution used for the sample surface profile imaging was also significantly improved to 2 nm

Moderate Exercise Enhances Endothelial Progenitor Cell Exosomes Release and Function

Purpose: Exercise has cardiovascular benefits which might be related to endothelial progenitor cells (EPC). Meanwhile, there is evidence suggesting that EPC-derived exosomes (EPC-EX) promote vascular repair and angiogenesis through their carried microRNA (miR)-126. In this study, we investigated whether exercise could increase the levels of circulating EPC-EX and their miR-126 cargo, and by which promote the protective function of EPC-EX on endothelial cells (EC). Methods: Plasma EPC-EX from sedentary, low, or moderate exercise mice, respectively, denoted as EPC-EXS, EPC-EXL, and EPC-EXM, were isolated using microbead-based sorting techniques and characterized by nanoparticle tracking analysis, Western blot, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction assessments of biomarkers and miR-126. High glucose (25 mM) with hypoxia (1% O2) was used for inducing an EC injury model. The injured EC were treated by coculturing with vehicle, EPC-EXS, EPC-EXL, EPC-EXM, or EPC-EXM + anti–miR-126. After that, EC were used for flow cytometry analysis of apoptosis, assessments of tube formation and migration, and measurements of miR-126 level and its downstream sprouty-related protein-1 (SPRED1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Results: 1) Isolated EPC-EX positively expressed exosomal markers (CD63 and Tsg101) and EPC markers (CD34 and VEGFR2). 2) Exercise intensity dependently elevated plasma level of EPC, EPC-EX/EPC ratio, and miR-126 expression in EPC and EPC-EX. 3) Injured EC displayed apoptosis increment, angiogenic dysfunction and miR-126 reduction. 4) EPC-EXM had better effects than EPC-EXS and EPC-EXL on alleviating those changes of injured EC, accompanied with SPRED1 downregulation and VEGF upregulation. 5) The effects of EPC-EXM were abolished by miR-126 knockdown. Conclusions: Our data demonstrate that exercise can increase EPC-EX release and miR-126 level and enhance the effects of EPC-EX on protecting EC against injury through the SPRED1/VEGF pathway

Newly identified colistin resistance genes, mcr-4 and mcr-5, from upper and lower alimentary tract of pigs and poultry in China

Antimicrobial resistance against colistin has emerged worldwide threatening the efficacy of one of the last-resort antimicrobials used for the treatment of Enterobacteriaceae. To investigate the presence of the recently identified colistin resistance genes (mcr-4, mcr-5) in China, we established PCRs to detect mcr-4 and mcr-5 on 213 anal and 1,339 nasal swabs from apparently healthy pigs (n = 1,454) in nine provinces, and 1,696 cloacal and 1,647 oropharyngeal samples from poultry (n = 1,836) at live-bird markets in 24 provinces of China. The prevalence of the mcr-4 in swine swabs (41.4%; 642/1,552) was significantly higher than in swabs from poultry (11.5%; 384/3,343). The mcr-4 gene was found in geese (49.5%, 54/109), chickens (17.2%, 257/1,498), pigeons (17.2%, 17/99) and ducks (15.4%, 20/130). In a similar trend, the prevalence of the mcr-5 in swine swabs (33.1%; 514/1552) was significantly higher than in swabs from poultry (5.6%; 187/3,343). The mcr-5 was identified in geese (17.4%, 19/109), chickens (9.9%, 148/1,498), ducks (7.7%, 10/130) and pigeons (3%, 3/99). The mcr-4 prevalence in the nasal swabs from pigs (59.2%, 58/98) was significantly higher than that in anal swabs (29.6%, 29/98) (P<0.001). Similarly, the mcr-5 prevalence in the nasal swabs from pigs (61.2%, 60/98) was significantly higher than in anal swabs (44.9%, 44/98) (P = 0.02), and significantly higher in oropharyngeal swabs (7.2%, 109/1,507) than in the cloacal swabs (3.7%, 56/1,507) (P<0.001). This study further confirms the presence of the mcr-4 and mcr-5 in animals and indicates these genes are prevalent and widespread in food producing animals (pig and poultry) in China. Future studies are needed to characterize the bacteria carrying the mcr-4 and mcr-5 and their locations on plasmids and/or the bacterial chromosomes, and determine co-resistances in the mcr-4 and mcr-5 positive strains

Aberrant structural and functional alterations in postpartum depression: a combined voxel-based morphometry and resting-state functional connectivity study

ObjectivesPostpartum depression (PPD) is a severe postpartum psychiatric disorder with unclear pathogenesis. Previous neuroimaging studies have reported structural or functional alterations in areas associated with emotion regulation, cognitive disorder, and parenting behaviors of PPD. The primary goal of this investigation was to explore the presence of brain structural alterations and relevant functional changes in PPD patients.MethodsA total of 28 patients and 30 matched healthy postnatal women (HPW) underwent both three-dimensional T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and resting-state functional MRI. Structural analysis was performed by voxel-based morphometry (VBM), followed by resting-state functional analysis using a seed-based whole-brain functional connectivity (FC) approach with abnormal gray matter volume (GMV) regions as seed.ResultsCompared with HPW, the PPD patients showed increased GMV in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC.L), the right precentral gyrus (PrCG.R), and the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). In the PPD group, the DLPFC.L showed increased FC with the right anterior cingulate and paracingulate gyri (ACG.R) and the right middle frontal gyrus (MFG.R); the FC between the PrCG.R and the right median cingulate and paracingulate gyri (DCG.R) exhibited enhanced; the OFC showed increased FC with MFG.R and the left inferior occipital gyrus (IOG.L). In PPD, GMV of DLPFC.L was positively correlated with EDPS scores (r = 0.409 p = 0.031), and FC of PrCG.R-DCG.R was positively correlated with EDPS scores (r = 0.483 p = 0.020).ConclusionStructural and functional damage of the DLPFC.L and OFC is associated with cognitive disorders and parenting behaviors in PPD, while structural abnormalities of the DLPFC.L and PrCG.R are involved in impaired executive function. The increased GMV of DLPFC.L may be a unique structural pathological mechanism of PPD related to the inability of PPD patients to withstand long-term parenting stress. These findings have important implications for understanding neural mechanisms in PPD

Cerebellum and hippocampus abnormalities in patients with insomnia comorbid depression: a study on cerebral blood perfusion and functional connectivity

Chronic insomnia disorder and major depressive disorder are highly-occurred mental diseases with extensive social harm. The comorbidity of these two diseases is commonly seen in clinical practice, but the mechanism remains unclear. To observe the characteristics of cerebral blood perfusion and functional connectivity in patients, so as to explore the potential pathogenesis and biological imaging markers, thereby improving the understanding of their comorbidity mechanism. 44 patients with chronic insomnia disorder comorbid major depressive disorder and 43 healthy controls were recruited in this study. The severity of insomnia and depression were assessed by questionnaire. The cerebral blood perfusion and functional connectivity values of participants were obtained to, analyze their correlation with questionnaire scores. The cerebral blood flow in cerebellum, vermis, right hippocampus, left parahippocampal gyrus of patients were reduced, which was negatively related to the severity of insomnia or depression. The connectivities of left cerebellum-right putamen and right hippocampus-left inferior frontal gyrus were increased, showing positive correlations with the severity of insomnia and depression. Decreased connectivities of left cerebellum-left fusiform gyrus, left cerebellum-left occipital lobe, right hippocampus-right paracentral lobule, right hippocampus-right precentral gyrus were partially associated with insomnia or depression. The connectivity of right hippocampus-left inferior frontal gyrus may mediate between insomnia and depression. Insomnia and depression can cause changes in cerebral blood flow and brain function. Changes in the cerebellar and hippocampal regions are the result of insomnia and depression. They reflect abnormalities in sleep and emotion regulation. That may be involved in the pathogenesis of comorbidity

Initial Soil Organic Matter Content Influences the Storage and Turnover of Litter, Root and Soil Carbon in Grasslands

Grassland degradation is a worldwide problem that often leads to substantial loss of soil organic matter (SOM). To estimate the potential for carbon (C) accumulation in degraded grassland soils, we first need to understand how SOM content influences the transformation of plant C and its stabilization within the soil matrix. We conducted a greenhouse experiment using C3 soils with six levels of SOM content; we planted the C4 grass Cleistogenes squarrosa or added its litter to the soils to investigate how SOM content regulates the storage of new soil C derived from litter and roots, the decomposition of extant soil C, and the formation of soil aggregates. We found that with the increase in SOM content, microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and the mineralization of litter C increased. Both the litter addition and planted treatments increased the amount of new C inputs to soil. However, the mineralization of extant soil C was significantly accelerated by the presence of living roots but was not affected by litter addition. Accordingly, the soil C content was significantly higher in the litter addition treatments but was not affected by the planted treatments by the end of the experiment. The soil macroaggregate fraction increased with SOM content and was positively related to MBC. Our experiment suggests that as SOM content increases, plant growth and soil microbial activity increase, which allows microbes to process more plant-derived C and promote new soil C formation. Although long-term field experiments are needed to test the robustness of our findings, our greenhouse experiment suggests that the interactions between SOM content and plant C inputs should be considered when evaluating soil C turnover in degraded grasslands