Achromobacter in the Conjunctival Sac Microbiota: Potential Association With Acanthamoeba Keratitis Related to Orthokeratology Lenses.

Purpose: Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) is a severe infection linked to orthokeratology lens use, whereas the involvement of conjunctival microbiota in AK remains poorly understood. This study investigates microbiota dysbiosis in AK pathogenesis to inform microbiota-based interventions.

Methods: Conjunctival swabs from 14 patients with AK and 10 healthy controls underwent 16S rRNA sequencing.

A radiomics-based interpretable model integrating delayed-phase CT and clinical features for predicting the pathological grade of appendiceal pseudomyxoma peritonei.

Objective: This study aimed to develop an interpretable machine learning model integrating delayed-phase contrast-enhanced CT radiomics with clinical features for noninvasive prediction of pathological grading in appendiceal pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP), using Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP) for model interpretation.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study analyzed 158 pathologically confirmed PMP cases (85 low-grade, 73 high-grade) from January 4, 2015 to April 30, 2024. Comprehensive clinical data including demographic characteristics, serum tumor markers (CEA, CA19-9, CA125, D-dimer, CA-724, CA-242), and CT-peritoneal cancer index (CT-PCI) were collected.

Moderately hypofractionated online adaptive radiotherapy (SWIFT-1) in cervical cancer patients: study protocol for a multi-centered, open-label, two-arm, phase III, randomized controlled study.

Background: External beam radiotherapy (EBRT) is an essential component of standard treatment for locally advanced cervical cancer. Moderately hypofractionated radiotherapy (MHRT) offers the potential to reduce treatment burden while compromising efficacy. Although various studies have investigated the safety and efficacy of MHRT, high-quality evidence remains inadequate.

Population-specific brain charts reveal Chinese-Western differences in neurodevelopmental trajectories.

Human brain charts provide unprecedented opportunities for decoding neurodevelopmental milestones and establishing clinical benchmarks for precision brain medicine . However, current lifespan brain charts are primarily derived from European and North American cohorts, with Asian populations severely underrepresented. Here, we present the first population-specific brain charts for China, developed through the Chinese Lifespan Brain Mapping Consortium (Phase I) using neuroimaging data from 43,037 participants (aged 0-100 years) across 384 sites nationwide.

Elevated levels of β C-terminal telopeptide of type 1 collagen and N-terminal mid-fragment of osteocalcin in patients with non-traumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head.

Objective: To investigate the role of serum β C-terminal telopeptide of type 1 collagen (β-CTx) and N-terminal mid-fragment of osteocalcin (N-MID) concentration in non-traumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head (NONFH).

Materials And Methods: In this retrospective case-control study, serum β-CTx and N-MID levels were measured in 64 NONFH patients and 64 healthy controls. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to balance the baseline characteristics of the two groups.

Antifungal susceptibility and clinical efficacy of chlorhexidine combined with topical ophthalmic medications against species isolated from corneal samples.

Objective: This study investigated the susceptibility of various fungi to five topical antifungal agents: natamycin, voriconazole, chlorhexidine, natamycin combined with chlorhexidine, and voriconazole combined with chlorhexidine. And to explore the clinical feasibility of combination therapy in the treatment of corneal infections caused by , with the goal of optimizing the treatment regimen for fungal keratitis.

Methods: A total of 194 strains of were isolated from the corneas between 2013 and 2024 and identified to the species level using mass spectrometry.

A Prospective Single-Arm Study of Daily Online Adaptive Radiation Therapy for Cervical Cancer with Reduced Planning Target Volume Margin: Acute Toxicity and Dosimetric Outcomes.

Purpose: To evaluate acute toxicity and dosimetric outcomes in cervical cancer treated with daily iterative cone beam computed tomography (iCBCT) guided online adaptive radiation therapy (oART) using reduced planning target volume (PTV) margin.

Methods And Materials: From February 2023 to November 2023, 27 patients with stages I to III cervical cancer were prospectively enrolled in this study. All patients received daily iCBCT guided oART (prescribed 50.

Epidemiological and Antimicrobial Resistance Trends in Bacterial Keratitis: A Hospital-Based 10-Year Study (2014-2024).

Bacterial keratitis (BK) is a severe ocular infection that can lead to vision loss, with antimicrobial resistance (AMR) posing a growing challenge. This study retrospectively analyzed 1071 bacterial isolates from corneal infections over a 10-year period (2014-2024) at a tertiary ophthalmic center in Beijing, categorizing them into three distinct phases: pre-COVID-19, during COVID-19, and post-COVID-19. The results indicated significant changes in pathogen distribution, including a marked decrease in Gram-positive cocci (from 69.

A Study on Synchronous Bilateral Breast Cancer Radiotherapy Based on an Accelerator Integrated with Optical Surface Monitoring System.

Objective: To investigate the optimal radiotherapy regimen for synchronous bilateral breast cancer (SBBC) by utilizing dosimetric and radiobiological indicators, and to assess the impact of applying an optical surface monitoring system(OSMS) on the precision of SBBC radiotherapy treatment.

Methods: Nine patients with SBBC who underwent breast-conserving radiotherapy were retrospectively selected. Four treatment plans were designed for each patient using the Versa HD (Elekta, Stockholm) accelerator: single-isocenter intensity-modulated radiotherapy/volumetric modulated arc therapy(IMRT-ISO1/VMAT-ISO1) and dual-isocenter IMRT/VMAT(IMRT-ISO2/VMAT-ISO2), with a prescription dose of 42.

kexB Gene Correlates With Aspergillus flavus Keratitis Severity: A Whole-Genome Analysis.

Purpose: Fungal keratitis caused by Aspergillus flavus (A. flavus) can result in severe inflammation and corneal stromal melting, leading to visual impairment. This study aimed to identify virulent genes correlated with the severity of A.

Effects of acupuncture at the Taichong (LIV3) and Hegu (LI4) points on functional connectivity with the retrosplenial cortex in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Background: Acupuncture has been demonstrated to have a promising effect on Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the underlying neural mechanisms remain unclear. The retrosplenial cortex (RSC) is one of the earliest brain regions affected in AD, and changes in its functional connectivity (FC) are reported to underlie disease-associated memory impairment. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of acupuncture on FC with the RSC in patients with AD.

Abnormal neural circuits and altered brain network topological properties in patients with persistent postural-perceptual dizziness.

Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness (PPPD) is a common cause of chronic vestibular syndrome. Although previous studies have identified central abnormalities in PPPD, the specific neural circuits and the alterations in brain network topological properties, and their association with dizziness and postural instability in PPPD remain unclear. This study includes 30 PPPD patients and 30 healthy controls.

Clinical Characteristics and In Vivo Confocal Microscopic Study in Candida Keratitis.

Purpose: To clarify the clinical and imaging characteristics of Candida keratitis using in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) for improved early diagnosis and management.

Methods: A retrospective study of 40 patients with Candida keratitis at Beijing Tongren Hospital from January 2015 to December 2023 was conducted. Data included demographics, risk factors, clinical assessments, lab tests, and IVCM images.

Aberrant functional connectivity between the retrosplenial cortex and hippocampal subregions in amnestic mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease.

The posterior cingulate cortex and hippocampus are the core regions involved in episodic memory, and they exhibit functional connectivity changes in the development and progression of Alzheimer's disease. Previous studies have demonstrated that the posterior cingulate cortex and hippocampus are both cytoarchitectonically heterogeneous regions. Specifically, the retrosplenial cortex, typically subsumed under the posterior cingulate cortex, is an area functionally and anatomically distinct from the posterior cingulate cortex, and the hippocampus is composed of several subregions that participate in multiple cognitive processes.

Risk Factors, Clinical Characteristics, and Antibiotic Susceptibility Patterns of Keratitis: An 18-Year Retrospective Study from a Tertiary Hospital in China.

Our aim was to investigate risk factors, clinical characteristics, and antibiotic susceptibility patterns of cornea-isolated species collected at a tertiary hospital in China over 18 years. This retrospective study reviewed data from 350 patients diagnosed with keratitis at Beijing Tongren Hospital between January 2006 and December 2023, including demographics, risk factors, clinical signs, in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) imaging, and antibiotic susceptibility testing. The predominant type was (n = 108, 29.

Understanding and Tuning the Effects of HO on Catalytic CO and CO Hydrogenation.

Catalytic CO (CO and CO) hydrogenation to valued chemicals is one of the promising approaches to address challenges in energy, environment, and climate change. HO is an inevitable side product in these reactions, where its existence and effect are often ignored. In fact, HO significantly influences the catalytic active centers, reaction mechanism, and catalytic performance, preventing us from a definitive and deep understanding on the structure-performance relationship of the authentic catalysts.

Identification of Blood Biomarkers Related to Energy Metabolism and Construction of Diagnostic Prediction Model Based on Three Independent Alzheimer's Disease Cohorts.

Background: Blood biomarkers are crucial for the diagnosis and therapy of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Energy metabolism disturbances are closely related to AD. However, research on blood biomarkers related to energy metabolism is still insufficient.

Feasibility of dose calculation for treatment plans using electron density maps from a novel dual-layer detector spectral CT simulator.

Background: Conventional single-energy CT can only provide a raw estimation of electron density (ED) for dose calculation by developing a calibration curve that simply maps the HU values to ED values through their correlations. Spectral CT, also known as dual-energy CT (DECT) or multi-energy CT, can generate a series of quantitative maps, such as ED maps. Using spectral CT for radiotherapy simulations can directly acquire ED information without developing specific calibration curves.

Altered functional connectivity of insular subregions in subjective cognitive decline.

Objective: Recent research has highlighted the insula as a critical hub in human brain networks and the most susceptible region to subjective cognitive decline (SCD). However, the changes in functional connectivity of insular subregions in SCD patients remain poorly understood. The present study aims to clarify the altered functional connectivity patterns within insular subregions in individuals with SCD using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI).

Report of endophthalmitis caused by Paradictyoarthrinium diffractum after plant trauma: A case involving left enucleation.

During outdoor work in April 2022, a 48-year-old man was stabbed by a tree branch and underwent intraocular foreign body extraction and repair of the scleral wound with sutures and amniotic membrane graft at a local hospital. Steroid therapy with prednisone was prescribed after a diagnosis of uveitis. Vitrectomy was performed in June 2023; a fungal culture was positive, and ITS sequencing identified the organism as Paradictyoarthrinium diffractum.