Surgical Realignment Reverses Contrast Sensitivity Deficits in Children With Intermittent Exotropia: One-Year Results of a Cohort Study.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the development of contrast sensitivity function (CSF) in children with intermittent exotropia (IXT) over 1 year and to explore the impact of surgical realignment on CSF.

Methods: A prospective study of 45 patients with IXT (aged 7-13 years) were matched with 30 healthy controls. Patients with IXT were categorized into the surgery group (n = 25) and the observation group (n = 20).

Exosomal SPRY4 from adipogenic BMSCs impairs angiogenesis via the PTPRB/TIE2/PI3K axis in Steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head.

Background: Steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head (SONFH) drives irreversible bone collapse, yet current therapies inadequately target the disrupted angiogenic-osteogenic coupling central to its pathogenesis. Although pathological adipocyte hyperplasia is a hallmark of SONFH, the mechanisms by which adipogenic bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) suppress angiogenesis remain unresolved. Emerging evidence implicates exosomes as mediators of adipose-vascular crosstalk, yet their role in SONFH-associated vasculopathy remains unexplored.

[Experimental study on promotion of skin radiation damage repair by icarin via HIF-2α/VEGF/Notch pathway to enhance the paracrine function of adipose-derived stem cells].

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness and preliminary mechanisms of icariin (ICA) in enhancing the reparative effects of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) on skin radiation damagies in rats.

Methods: Twelve SPF-grade Sprague Dawley rats [body weight (220±10) g] were subjected to a single dose of 10 Gy X-ray irradiation on a 1.5 cm×1.

AAV9-mediated gene supplementation therapy prevents and rescues arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy in Pnpla2-mutated mice.

Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) is an inherited disorder involving ventricular arrhythmias, cardiac dysfunction, and fibrofatty myocardial replacement. Current treatments are largely palliative, with heart transplantation as the only definitive option for advanced ACM. Here, we show that, building upon our previous identification of a patient with a PNPLA2 mutation, we developed a murine model carrying the same mutation, faithfully mimicking key ACM phenotypes such as arrhythmias, lipid accumulation, and fibrosis.

Long-term outcomes of endoscopic treatment versus surgical resection for 0-2 cm gastrointestinal stromal tumor: A SEER database study.

Background: The optimal management of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) ≤ 2 cm in diameter remains debated. This study aimed to compare long-term survival outcomes between patients with small GIST undergoing endoscopic treatment (ET) and those treated with surgical resection (SR).

Methods: Between 2000 and 2021, patients with small GIST were selected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database.

[Synergistic neuroprotective effects of main components of salvianolic acids for injection based on key pathological modules of cerebral ischemia].

This study aims to explore the synergistic effects of the main components in salvianolic acids for Injection(SAFI) on key pathological events in cerebral ischemia, elucidating the pharmacological characteristics of SAFI in neuroprotection. Two major pathological gene modules related to endothelial injury and neuroinflammation in cerebral ischemia were mined from single-cell data. According to the topological distance calculated in network medicine, potential synergistic component combinations of SAFI were screened out.

Performance of the GALAD Model in an Asian Cohort Undergoing Hepatocellular Carcinoma Surveillance: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Background And Aim: Current hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surveillance strategy has its limitations, consequently delaying early detection. The GALAD model has been validated in retrospective studies, with two published cut-off values yielding different sensitivities for HCCs of different etiologies. We evaluated the performance of GALAD model in HCC surveillance and determined the ideal cut-off value for our cohort.

Surgical resection for small (≤2 cm) gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumor.

Background: It is unclear whether surgical excision is the best course of treatment for small gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) ≤2 cm. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term survival results of surgical and non-surgical treatment for small gastric GIST.

Methods: Between 2000 and 2021, patients with small gastric GIST were chosen from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database.

Advancements in : probiotic characteristics, gene editing technologies and applications.

The exploration of microorganisms in fermented products has become a pivotal area of scientific research, primarily due to their widespread availability and profound potential to improve human health. Among these, (formerly known as ) stands out as a versatile lactic acid bacterium, prevalent across diverse ecological niches. Its appeal extends beyond its well-documented probiotic benefits to include the remarkable plasticity of its genome, which has captivated both scientific and industrial stakeholders.

Quantitative MRI evaluation of iron deposition in patients with transfusion-dependent thalassemia: clinical management insights.

Background: In patients with thalassemia, different organs are affected differently by iron overload. Nevertheless, the reasons for this could be the same key transporters. This study investigated the iron deposition in different organs of transfusion-dependent thalassemia (TDT) patients and its correlation.

Probiotics and their metabolite spermidine enhance IFN-γCD4 T cell immunity to inhibit hepatitis B virus.

The therapeutic potential of commensal microbes and their metabolites is promising in the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, which is defined as hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) loss. Here, using both specific-pathogen-free and germ-free mice, we report that probiotics significantly promote the decline of HBsAg and inhibit HBV replication by enhancing intestinal homeostasis and provoking intrahepatic interferon (IFN)-γCD4 T cell immune response. Depletion of CD4 T cells or blockage of IFN-γ abolishes probiotics-mediated HBV inhibition.

Organ-Specific Iron Overload in Non-Transfusion-Dependent Thalassemia Patients: Insights from Quantitative MRI Evaluation.

Objective: To elucidate the iron load in different organs of non-transfusion-dependent thalassemia (NTDT) patients using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) T2* scan.

Methods: Thirty-four NTDT patients, including 28 NTDT iron chelation without and 6 NTDT with iron chelation, together with 15 normal controls, underwent MRI examination between December 2022 and July 2024 were enrolled in the study. Measured T2* of the pituitary gland, kidney cortex, heart, liver, pancreas, spleen.

The SARS-unique domain (SUD) of SARS-CoV-2 nsp3 protein inhibits the antiviral immune responses through the NF-κB pathway.

Nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) plays a crucial role in various cellular processes, including inflammatory and immune responses. Its activation is tightly regulated by the IKK (IκB kinase) complex. Upon severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, the virus is initially recognized by the innate immune system and typically activates the NF-κB pathway, leading to a severe inflammatory response.

DAP3 promotes mitochondrial activity and tumour progression in hepatocellular carcinoma by regulating MT-ND5 expression.

Cancer cells often exhibit fragmented mitochondria and dysregulated mitochondrial dynamics, but the underlying mechanism remains elusive. Here, we found that the mitochondrial protein death-associated protein 3 (DAP3) is localized to mitochondria and promotes the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by regulating mitochondrial function. DAP3 can promote the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HCC cells in vitro and in vivo by increasing mitochondrial respiration, inducing the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and slowing cellular senescence.

Safety, efficacy, and survival outcomes of immune checkpoint inhibitors rechallenge in patients with cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Backgrounds: There is little evidence on the safety, efficacy, and survival benefit of restarting immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) in patients with cancer after discontinuation due to immune-related adverse events (irAEs) or progressive disease (PD). Here, we performed a meta-analysis to elucidate the possible benefits of ICI rechallenge in patients with cancer.

Methods: Systematic searches were conducted using PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases.

NCF4 attenuates colorectal cancer progression by modulating inflammasome activation and immune surveillance.

The spatiotemporal regulation of inflammasome activation remains unclear. To examine the mechanism underlying the assembly and regulation of the inflammasome response, here we perform an immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry analysis of apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC) and identify NCF4/1/2 as ASC-binding proteins. Reduced NCF4 expression is associated with colorectal cancer development and decreased five-year survival rate in patients with colorectal cancer.

Role of hepatitis B core-related antigen in predicting the occurrence and recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with chronic hepatitis B: A systemic review and meta-analysis.

Background And Aim: The purpose of the current study was to investigate the predictive value of hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) on the occurrence and recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).

Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science from database inception to April 6, 2023. Pooled hazard ratio (HR) or odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated for the occurrence and recurrence of HCC.

The effect of age, sex, and eastern cooperative oncology group performance status on the efficacy and safety of immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The effect of age, sex, and eastern cooperative oncology group performance status (ECOG PS) on the efficacy and safety of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy among hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients remains elusive. Thus, a meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate whether such effects exist.

Research Design And Methods: Eligible studies in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were retrieved.

Inter-module gap filling method for photon counting detectors based on dual acquisition.

The use of photon counting detectors in X-ray imaging missions can effectively improve the signal-to-noise ratio and image resolution. However, the stitching of photon counting detector modules leads to large-size localized information loss in the acquired projected image, which seriously affects the regional observation. In this paper, we propose a method to fill the inter-module gap based on dual acquisition, referred to as the GFDA algorithm, which is divided into three main steps: (i) acquire the main projection by short-exposure scanning, and then scan again by vertically moving the carrier table to acquire the reference projection; (ii) use the alignment method to locate the projected region of interest; (iii) use image stitching and image fusion to recover the missing information.

ZHX2 emerges as a negative regulator of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation during acute liver injury.

Mitochondria dysfunction contributes to acute liver injuries, and mitochondrial regulators, such as PGC-1α and MCJ, affect liver regeneration. Therefore, identification of mitochondrial modulators may pave the way for developing therapeutic strategies. Here, ZHX2 is identified as a mitochondrial regulator during acute liver injury.

Performance of GALAD score and serum biomarkers for detecting NAFLD-related HCC: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Introduction: The incidence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is increasing globally. We aimed to assess the performance of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), AFP-L3, des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin (DCP), and GALAD score in detecting NAFLD-related HCC.

Methods: We searched the relevant literature in PubMed, Embase and Cochrane.