Clinical analysis of dry eye after refractive surgery in army recruits in 2024.

Dry eye is among the most prevalent complications following refractive surgery, significantly impacting the training and daily lives of recruits. While recent years we have witnessed some advancements in understanding the occurrence and progression of dry eye, the specific effects of refractive surgery on this condition remain unclear. This study aims to investigate the impact of refractive surgery on dry eye among 300 army recruits.

Exploration and analysis of methylglyoxal-driven chronic inflammation in polycystic ovary syndrome.

Introduction: Chronic low-grade inflammation drives polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)-related metabolic disorders, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Methylglyoxal, a key ovarian metabolite, promotes inflammation when elevated, its role in PCOS-related inflammation remains uncharacterized.

Objectives: This study aimed to identify the role of methylglyoxal in PCOS-related inflammation and its mechanisms of action.

Improved roughness model of contact polishing for optical components based on self-affine.

Roughness is an important indicator for evaluating the quality of optical components. Owing to the influence of the fabrication environment, it is difficult to obtain quantitative guidance from accurate models in contact polishing. As the classical model for contact removal, the Preston equation and its improved models mostly focus on describing macroscopic removal parameters and processes, while neglecting the description of rough surfaces that are closely related to microscopic removal and the consideration of influencing factors.

Esketamine modulates cerebral function variations between S1 and BLA in rats with chronic pain and anxiety.

Background: The comorbidity of chronic pain and anxiety exerts a profound impact on neurological functions. This study aims to investigate the alterations in brain metabolism and functional connectivity that arise from the interaction between chronic pain and anxiety in rats. Furthermore, the potential therapeutic effects of esketamine on these alterations are examined.

Timosaponin AIII inhibits gastric cancer by causing oxidative stress and blocking autophagic flux.

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is a prevalent malignant tumor worldwide, with limited treatment targets. Timosaponin AIII (Tim AIII) is the naturally steroid saponin isolated from Anemarrhena, while this study initially confirms the anti-GC effect of Tim AIII.

Methods: MTT assay, cell cycle analysis, and wound healing assay were used to evaluate the inhibitory effects of Tim AIII on GC cells (AGS and HGC27).

Whole-disease-cycle management in a collaborative care model based on the WeChat platform: A case report.

Rationale: This study aims to explore the application of a WeChat-based telemedicine collaborative care model for managing the full disease cycle of a child with Type I congenital vaginal atresia complicated by megacolon. Given the complexity of the condition, the need for multidisciplinary care, and challenges such as difficult access to follow-up, this model addresses critical gaps by providing continuous, convenient, and effective remote guidance.

Patient Concerns: A 13-year-old girl from the Shaxian area of Sanming City was admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of Type I vaginal atresia and megacolon on July 9, 2023.

Phylostratigraphic analysis revealed that ancient ohnologue PtoWRKY53 innovated a vascular transcription regulatory network in Populus.

The secondary vascular system represents a hallmark innovation in woody plant evolution. While contemporary studies have decoded key molecular networks governing its development, the evolutionary trajectory of these regulatory systems remains elusive. We performed integrated phylostratigraphic and transcriptomic profiling across six Populus species spanning five phylogenetic clades to decipher the evolutionary dynamics of regulatory genes in the secondary vascular system.

FOXP1 is associated with oncogenesis and clinical outcomes in hematologic malignancies.

Depending on the cellular context and cancer type, FOXP1 functions as an oncogene or a tumor suppressor. However, the clinical role of FOXP1 in hematologic malignancies has not been studied comprehensively. This study systematically analyzed the association of FOXP1 expression with clinical outcomes, including prognosis and immunotherapeutic response, as well as biological functions across a range of hematological cancers.

Screening for levels of social difficulties and unemployment in head and neck cancer patients by University of Washington Quality of Life Questionnaire (UW-QOL): Current status and cut-off point establishment.

Background/purpose: Social function and employment are vital to the quality of life in head and neck cancer (HNC) survivors. This study aimed to (1) assess the status of social difficulties (including getting along with others, social participation and unemployment); (2) examine their associations with the University of Washington Quality of Life Questionnaire (UW-QOL); and (3) establish UW-QOL cut-off points for identifying social difficulties after primary treatment.

Materials And Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted at a medical center in Taiwan, involving HNC survivors under 65 years who completed primary treatments.

Development of the ultra-high linearity flexible sensor using CMC/MXene-regulating conductive polymer strategy through resistance-capacitance hybrid response for pressure/temperature detection.

Multifunctional temperature/pressure sensors have garnered significant research interest due to their broad applicability in wearable electronics and health monitoring. Nevertheless, most pressure sensors often exhibit pronounced nonlinear responses, primarily attributed to the pressure-dependent increase in compressive modulus. In this paper, we report a multifunctional sensor with ultra-high linearity pressure and well- temperature-sensing performance, fabricated via a facile dip-coating process.

Ten-Eleven Translocation Family Proteins: Structure, Biological Functions, Diseases, and Targeted Therapy.

Ten-eleven translocation (TET) family proteins are Fe(II)- and α-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases, comprising three family members: TET1, TET2, and TET3. These enzymes drive DNA demethylation by sequentially oxidizing 5-methylcytosine to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine, 5-formylcytosine, and 5-carboxylcytosine. Through these reactions, TET proteins remodel the epigenetic landscape and interact with transcription factors and RNA polymerase II to regulate gene expression, cell lineage specification, and embryonic development.

Effects of Exposure to Chromium During Pregnancy on Fetal Growth and a Possible Sex-Dependent Response: Results of Cross-sectional Study.

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) or small for gestational age (SGA) is a serious birth outcome affected by environmental factors. Animal studies have shown that prenatal chromium (Cr) exposure leads to intrauterine growth restriction and reduced birth weight in fetal rats. However, evidence remains limited in human studies.

Accelerated placental aging mediated the association between prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and small-for-gestational age newborns.

Whether prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is a risk factor for small-for-gestational-age (SGA) neonates remain elusive, yet even less is known on the role of premature placental aging in this potential adverse effect. In this analysis of 1046 maternal-infant dyads, 30 legacy and emerging PFAS were measured from maternal serum. Associations between (co-)exposure to PFAS and the incidence of SGA were determined using logistic regression, Bayesian Kernal Machine Regression (BKMR) and quantile-based g-computation (QGC) for single and mixture effect, respectively.

SIRT3 is required for the protective function of ketogenic diet on neural inflammation and neuropathic pain.

Chronic neuroinflammation is a key pathological feature of neuropathic pain. The ketogenic diet (KD) has demonstrated potential to reduce neuronal excitability and alleviate inflammation in epilepsy, yet its effects and precise mechanisms in neuropathic pain remain elusive. We first observed that β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), a key metabolite induced by KD, was reduced in mice following neuropathic pain induced by chronic constriction injury (CCI).

Effects of Subchronic Manganese and Iron Exposure, Alone or in Combination, on Elemental Distribution in Rats.

Overexposure to manganese (Mn) or iron (Fe) may lead to neurological damage. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of subchronic Mn and Fe exposure, alone or in combination, on the distribution of other elements and the relationship between Mn and Fe levels in whole blood and brain. Forty male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were divided into control, Mn-exposed, Fe-exposed, and combined Mn-Fe-exposed groups, with 10 rats assigned randomly to each group.

Characteristic dysbiosis in patients with type 2 diabetes and hyperuricemia, and the effect of empagliflozin on gut microbiota.

Background: Gut microbiota play a crucial role in metabolic diseases, including type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and hyperuricemia (HUA). One-third of uric acid is excreted into the intestinal tract and further metabolized by gut microbiota. Thus, the gut microbiota might be a new therapeutic target for HUA.

A prognostic model based on autophagy-and senescence-related genes for gastric cancer: implications for immunotherapy and personalized treatment.

Background: The process of human aging is accompanied by an increased susceptibility to various cancers, including gastric cancer. This heightened susceptibility is linked to the shared molecular characteristics between aging and tumorigenesis. Autophagy is considered a critical mediator connecting aging and cancer, exerting a dynamic regulatory effect in conjunction with cellular senescence during tumor progression.

Associations between white matter hyperintensities and physical activity: A sectional study in UK Biobank participants.

White matter hyperintensities (WMH) are key markers of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) linked to increased risks of stroke, dementia, and cognitive decline. Physical activity (PA) has been hypothesized to reduce WMH burden and preserve brain health, yet findings across studies remain mixed. This study examines the association between PA and WMH burden, as well as white matter integrity using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) metrics, in a cohort of 10,868 participants from the UK Biobank.

The correlation between serum fructose levels and pregnancy outcomes in IVF patients with and without PCOS: a case-control study.

Background: Excessive fructose intake can impact pregnancy health. Additionally, Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with both elevated fructose levels and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Therefore, it is significant to investigate whether serum fructose levels influence pregnancy outcomes in patients with or without PCOS.

Erratum: Astrocytic YAP protects the optic nerve and retina in an experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis model through TGF-β signaling: Erratum.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.7150/thno.60031.

Accurately adjusted phenothiazine conformations: reversible conformation transformation at room temperature and self-recoverable stimuli-responsive phosphorescence.

Conformational flexibility is essential to the stimuli-responsive property of organic materials, but achieving the reversible molecular transformation is still challenging in functional materials for the high energy barriers and restriction by intermolecular interactions. Herein, through the incorporation of various steric hindrances into phenothiazine derivatives with different positions and quantities to tune the molecular conformations by adjustable repulsive forces, the folded angles gradually changed from 180° to 90° in 17 compounds. When the angle located at 112° with moderated steric effect, dynamic and reversible transformation of conformations under mechanical force has been achieved for the low energy barriers and mutually regulated molecular motions, resulting in both self-recoverable and stimuli-responsive phosphorescence properties for the first time.

Bioinformatic characterization of STING expression in hematological malignancies reveals association with prognosis and anti-tumor immunity.

Introduction: Stimulator of interferon response cGAMP interactor (STING) is essential for both innate and adaptive immunity. However, a comprehensive molecular characterization of STING expression across hematological malignancies is lacking.

Methods: In this study, the pan-blood-cancer landscape related to STING expression was identified using the GTEx, CCLE, Hemap, and TCGA databases, and the potential value for predicting prognosis was investigated.

Sodium alginate alleviated isoniazid-induced liver injury by modulating fecal metabolites and gut microbiota.

Previous studies found that sodium alginate (SA) was protective against several liver diseases. However, the effect of SA on drug-induced liver injury is not clear. This study investigated the effect and mechanism of SA on isoniazid (INH)-induced liver injury in mice.

NCAPD3-mediated AKT activation regulates prostate cancer progression.

Despite therapeutic improvements in prostate cancer treatment, the recurrence and mortality rates are still high, and the underlying mechanisms still need further study. Non-SMC Condensin II Complex Subunit D3 (NCAPD3) is a subunit of condensin II complex, mainly involved in the mitotic chromosome condensation of cells. This study aimed to figure out the detailed mechanisms by which NCAPD3 contributed to prostate cancer development.