SOX4 as a Key Oncogene Driving Tumor Invasion in Retinoblastoma.

Purpose: This study aims to explore the role of SRY-related HMG box transcription factor 4 (SOX4) in promoting invasion in retinoblastoma (RB) and to elucidate the underlying oncogenic pathways.

Methods: SOX4 expression in human retina, intraocular RB, and extraocular RB samples was evaluated using bulk RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), with further evaluation in RB cell lines (Y79, WERI-RB1). Small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown was performed in RB cell lines, followed by functional assays including CCK-8, EdU, colony formation, and transwell assays.

ACS NSQIP Risk Calculator Performance Across Multiple Domains of Operative Risk and Risk-associated Features.

Objective: To assess the accuracy of the ACS NSQIP Risk Calculator (RC) when applied to subsets of high-risk patients.

Background: The RC plays an especially important role in surgical decision making in situations where probabilities for adverse events are high. However, the performance of the RC in these situations has not been studied in detail.

Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Drives Neuroinflammation Through Lipocalin 2 Upregulation in Retinal Microglia After Optic Nerve Injury.

Purpose: This study aims to explore how lipocalin 2 (LCN2) connects endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and inflammation in optic nerve injury (ONI) and identify potential therapeutic strategies.

Methods: An optic nerve crush (ONC) mouse model was used to investigate the role of ER stress and LCN2 in ONI. Immunofluorescence, quantitative PCR, and Western blot analyses were performed to assess ER stress markers, LCN2, inflammation-related genes, and retinal ganglion cell (RGC) survival, with or without treatment of 4PBA (an ER stress inhibitor) and TUN (an ER stress activator) in both the ONC model and BV2 cells.

Improved American College of Surgeons NSQIP Hospital Benchmarking with Risk Adjustment for Many CPT Codes Rather Than Just the Principal Code.

Background: Because of technical limitations inherent to logistic regression, NSQIP benchmarking has historically risk adjusted for procedure using only one principal CPT code among other predictors. This has the potential to create bias (favorable or unfavorable) for hospitals depending on how many multiple-procedure operations they do. Hospital quality assessments using current statistical methods were compared to those using a new methodology that permits risk adjustment incorporating many recorded CPT codes (capped here at 21).

The role of lactate metabolism in retinoblastoma tumorigenesis and ferroptosis resistance.

The Warburg effect, a hallmark of cancer, describes the preference of cancer cells for glucose metabolism via aerobic glycolysis, leading to substantial lactate accumulation. However, the role of lactate metabolism in retinoblastoma, the primary intraocular malignancy in children, remains unclear. This study aimed to elucidate the gene expression profiles associated with lactate metabolism in retinoblastoma and their impact on tumorigenesis and ferroptosis resistance.

The genomic and epigenomic landscape of iridocorneal endothelial syndrome.

Iridocorneal endothelial (ICE) syndrome is a rare, irreversibly blinding eye disease with an unknown etiology. Understanding its genomic and epigenomic landscape could aid in developing etiology-based therapies. In this study, we recruited 99 ICE patients and performed whole-genome sequencing (WGS) on 51 and genome-wide DNA methylation profiling on 48 of them.

ACS NSQIP Surgical Risk Calculator Accuracy When Operative Risk is Represented by the Principal CPT® code Versus Many Codes.

Objective: To determine whether ACS NSQIP risk calculator (RC) accuracy can be improved by incorporating CPT codes beyond the principal code.

Background: Because of technical limitations, past and current RC algorithms have relied only on the principal CPT code, represented as a logit score, to adjust for procedure-related risk. RC performance was evaluated when using a new machine learning (ML) algorithm capable of incorporating an indeterminate number of high cardinality categorical variables (in this case, multiple CPT codes).

Safety and efficacy of intralesional rituximab injection versus involved site radiation therapy in primary ocular adnexal MALT lymphoma: study protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: Involved site radiation therapy (ISRT) is a widely used treatment for primary ocular adnexal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma with control rates over 85%; however, its complications could reach 30%-50%. Intralesional rituximab injection has shown promising results with remission rates between 65% and 100% and minimal complications. This study aimed to conduct a multicentre randomised controlled clinical trial to compare the safety and efficacy of intralesional rituximab injection versus ISRT on primary ocular adnexal MALT lymphoma.

Within-hospital Temporal Clustering of Postoperative Complications and Implications for Safety Monitoring and Benchmarking Using ACS-NSQIP Data.

Objective: To determine the extent to which within-hospital temporal clustering of postoperative complications is observed in the American College of Surgeons, National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP).

Background: ACS-NSQIP relies on periodic and on-demand reports for quality benchmarking. However, if rapid increases in postoperative complication rates (clusters) are common, other reporting methods might be valuable additions to the program.

Targeting ALDOA to modulate tumorigenesis and energy metabolism in retinoblastoma.

This study aims to elucidate the pivotal role of aldolase A (ALDOA) in retinoblastoma (RB) and evaluate the potential of the ALDOA inhibitor itaconate in impeding RB progression. Utilizing single-cell RNA sequencing, ALDOA consistently exhibits overexpression across diverse cell types, particularly in cone precursor cells, retinoma-like cells, and retinoblastoma-like cells. This heightened expression is validated in RB tissues and cell lines.

Deciphering metabolic heterogeneity in retinoblastoma unravels the role of monocarboxylate transporter 1 in tumor progression.

Background: Tumors exhibit metabolic heterogeneity, influencing cancer progression. However, understanding metabolic diversity in retinoblastoma (RB), the primary intraocular malignancy in children, remains limited.

Methods: The metabolic landscape of RB was constructed based on single-cell transcriptomic sequencing from 11 RB and 5 retina samples.

Identifying Population-Level and Within-Hospital Disparities in Surgical Care.

Background: The lack of consensus on equity measurement and its incorporation into quality-assessment programs at the hospital and system levels may be a barrier to addressing disparities in surgical care. This study aimed to identify population-level and within-hospital differences in the quality of surgical care provision.

Study Design: The analysis included 657 NSQIP participating hospitals with more than 4 million patients (2014 to 2018).

Magnetic Phase Transition-Induced Modulation of Ferroelectric Properties in Hexagonal FeO ( = Tb and Ho).

Hexagonal rare-earth iron oxides (FeO) exhibit spontaneous magnetization and room-temperature ferroelectricity simultaneously. However, achieving a large magnetoelectric coupling necessitates further exploration. Herein, we report the impact of the magnetic phase transition on the ferroelectric properties of epitaxial FeO ( = Tb and Ho) films prepared by pulsed laser deposition.

Heterogeneous Expression Patterns of the Minichromosome Maintenance Complex Members in Retinoblastoma Unveil Its Clinical Significance.

Purpose: To explore the expression patterns and clinical significance of minichromosome maintenance (MCM) complex members in retinoblastoma (RB).

Methods: Single-cell RNA sequencing datasets from five normal retina, six intraocular, and five extraocular RB samples were integrated to characterize the expression patterns of MCM complex members at the single-cell level. Western blot and quantitative PCR were used to detect the expression of MCM complex members in RB cell lines.

Single-cell transcriptomics enable the characterization of local extension in retinoblastoma.

Retinoblastoma (RB) is the most prevalent ocular tumor of childhood, and its extraocular invasion significantly increases the risk of metastasis. Nevertheless, a single-cell characterization of RB local extension has been lacking. Here, we perform single-cell RNA sequencing on four RB samples (two from intraocular and two from extraocular RB patients), and integrate public datasets of five normal retina samples, four intraocular samples, and three extraocular RB samples to characterize RB local extension at the single-cell level.

The Accuracy of the NSQIP Universal Surgical Risk Calculator Compared to Operation-Specific Calculators.

Objective: To compare the performance of the ACS NSQIP "universal" risk calculator (N-RC) to operation-specific RCs.

Background: Resources have been directed toward building operation-specific RCs because of an implicit belief that they would provide more accurate risk estimates than the N-RC. However, operation-specific calculators may not provide sufficient improvements in accuracy to justify the costs in development, maintenance, and access.

Surgical Outcomes of Standardized Endoscopical Deep Medial Orbital Decompression in Dysthyroid Optic Neuropathy.

Introduction: The aim of the study was to standardize the endoscopic deep medial orbital decompression surgery for better relief of optic nerve compression in dysthyroid optic neuropathy (DON).

Methods: A total of 128 eyes from patients received the standardized endoscopic deep medial orbital decompression surgery were recruited in this study. The efficacy of the procedure was assessed at a 1-month follow-up by the best-corrected visual acuity (VA), visual field (VF), and visual evoked potential (VEP).

A novel multi-functional fluorescent probe for dual-channel detection of SO and Hg and dynamic visualization of SO fluctuations in vivo upon mercury exposure.

Although there are many drugs used for the treatment of mercury poisoning, it is remains confused that pathological symptoms associated with Hg-induced oxidative stress. It is reported that SO can be generated as the anti-oxidant, and plays an important role in maintaining redox balance in cells. There has not yet been a study to precisely track the changes in SO during mercury ion poisoning.

Integrated Transcriptome Analysis of Long Noncoding RNA and mRNA in Developing and Aging Mouse Retina.

Mice have emerged as a widely employed model for investigating various retinal diseases. However, the availability of comprehensive datasets capturing the entire developmental and aging stages of the mouse retina, particularly during the elderly period, encompassing integrated lncRNA and mRNA expression profiles, is limited. In this study, we assembled a total of 18 retina samples from mice across 6 distinct stages of development and aging (5 days, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 10 weeks, 6 months, and 15 months) to conduct integrated lncRNA and mRNA sequencing analysis.

National Multi-Institutional Validation of a Surgical Transfusion Risk Prediction Model.

Background: Accurate estimation of surgical transfusion risk is important for many aspects of surgical planning, yet few methods for estimating are available for estimating such risk. There is a need for reliable validated methods for transfusion risk stratification to support effective perioperative planning and resource stewardship.

Study Design: This study was conducted using the American College of Surgeons NSQIP datafile from 2019.