Iterative tomography with digital adaptive optics permits hour-long intravital observation of 3D subcellular dynamics at millisecond scale.

Long-term subcellular intravital imaging in mammals is vital to study diverse intercellular behaviors and organelle functions during native physiological processes. However, optical heterogeneity, tissue opacity, and phototoxicity pose great challenges. Here, we propose a computational imaging framework, termed digital adaptive optics scanning light-field mutual iterative tomography (DAOSLIMIT), featuring high-speed, high-resolution 3D imaging, tiled wavefront correction, and low phototoxicity with a compact system. By tomographic imaging of the entire volume simultaneously, we obtained volumetric imaging across 225 × 225 × 16 µm3, with a resolution of up to 220 nm laterally and 400 nm axially, at the millisecond scale, over hundreds of thousands of time points. To establish the capabilities, we investigated large-scale cell migration and neural activities in different species and observed various subcellular dynamics in mammals during neutrophil migration and tumor cell circulation.

Sculpting neural circuits by axon and dendrite pruning.

The assembly of functional neural circuits requires the combined action of progressive and regressive events. Regressive events encompass a variety of inhibitory developmental processes, including axon and dendrite pruning, which facilitate the removal of exuberant neuronal connections. Most axon pruning involves the removal of axons that had already made synaptic connections; thus, axon pruning is tightly associated with synapse elimination. In many instances, these developmental processes are regulated by the interplay between neurons and glial cells that act instructively during neural remodeling. Owing to the importance of axon and dendritic pruning, these remodeling events require precise spatial and temporal control, and this is achieved by a range of distinct molecular mechanisms. Disruption of these mechanisms results in abnormal pruning, which has been linked to brain dysfunction. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms of axon and dendritic pruning will be instrumental in advancing our knowledge of neural disease and mental disorders.

Dynamic changes in ocular shape during human development and its implications for retina fovea formation.

The human fovea is known for its distinctive pit-like appearance, which results from the displacement of retinal layers superficial to the photoreceptors cells. The photoreceptors are found at high density within the foveal region but not the surrounding retina. Efforts to elucidate the mechanisms responsible for these unique features have ruled out cell death as an explanation for pit formation and changes in cell proliferation as the cause of increased photoreceptor density. These findings have led to speculation that mechanical forces acting within and on the retina during development underly the formation of foveal architecture. Here we review eye morphogenesis and retinal remodeling in human embryonic development. Our meta-analysis of the literature suggests that fovea formation is a protracted process involving dynamic changes in ocular shape that start early and continue throughout most of human embryonic development. From these observations, we propose a new model for fovea development.

Mitotic outcomes and errors in fibrous environments.

During mitosis, cells round up and utilize the interphase adhesion sites within the fibrous extracellular matrix (ECM) as guidance cues to orient the mitotic spindles. Here, using suspended ECM-mimicking nanofiber networks, we explore mitotic outcomes and error distribution for various interphase cell shapes. Elongated cells attached to single fibers through two focal adhesion clusters (FACs) at their extremities result in perfect spherical mitotic cell bodies that undergo significant 3-dimensional (3D) displacement while being held by retraction fibers (RFs). Increasing the number of parallel fibers increases FACs and retraction fiber-driven stability, leading to reduced 3D cell body movement, metaphase plate rotations, increased interkinetochore distances, and significantly faster division times. Interestingly, interphase kite shapes on a crosshatch pattern of four fibers undergo mitosis resembling single-fiber outcomes due to rounded bodies being primarily held in position by RFs from two perpendicular suspended fibers. We develop a cortex-astral microtubule analytical model to capture the retraction fiber dependence of the metaphase plate rotations. We observe that reduced orientational stability, on single fibers, results in increased monopolar mitotic defects, while multipolar defects become dominant as the number of adhered fibers increases. We use a stochastic Monte Carlo simulation of centrosome, chromosome, and membrane interactions to explain the relationship between the observed propensity of monopolar and multipolar defects and the geometry of RFs. Overall, we establish that while bipolar mitosis is robust in fibrous environments, the nature of division errors in fibrous microenvironments is governed by interphase cell shapes and adhesion geometries.

Scribble and E-cadherin cooperate to control symmetric daughter cell positioning by multiple mechanisms.

The fate of the two daughter cells is intimately connected to their positioning, which is in turn regulated by cell junction remodelling and orientation of the mitotic spindle. How multiple cues are integrated to dictate the ultimate positioning of daughters is not clear. Here, we identify novel mechanisms of regulation of daughter positioning in single MCF10A cells. The polarity protein, Scribble cooperates with E-cadherin for sequential roles in daughter positioning. First Scribble stabilises E-cadherin at the mitotic cortex as well as the retraction fibres, to mediate spindle orientation. Second, Scribble re-locates to the junction between the two daughters to allow a new E-cadherin-based-interface to form between them, influencing the width of the nascent daughter-daughter junction and subsequent cell positioning. Thus, E-cadherin and Scribble dynamically relocate to different intracellular sites during cell division to orient the mitotic spindle and control placement of the daughter cells after cell division. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.

Dynamics of cross-platform attention to retracted papers.

Retracted papers often circulate widely on social media, digital news, and other websites before their official retraction. The spread of potentially inaccurate or misleading results from retracted papers can harm the scientific community and the public. Here, we quantify the amount and type of attention 3,851 retracted papers received over time in different online platforms. Comparing with a set of nonretracted control papers from the same journals with similar publication year, number of coauthors, and author impact, we show that retracted papers receive more attention after publication not only on social media but also, on heavily curated platforms, such as news outlets and knowledge repositories, amplifying the negative impact on the public. At the same time, we find that posts on Twitter tend to express more criticism about retracted than about control papers, suggesting that criticism-expressing tweets could contain factual information about problematic papers. Most importantly, around the time they are retracted, papers generate discussions that are primarily about the retraction incident rather than about research findings, showing that by this point, papers have exhausted attention to their results and highlighting the limited effect of retractions. Our findings reveal the extent to which retracted papers are discussed on different online platforms and identify at scale audience criticism toward them. In this context, we show that retraction is not an effective tool to reduce online attention to problematic papers.

Migrasomal autophagosomes relieve endoplasmic reticulum stress in glioblastoma cells.

BACKGROUND: Glioblastoma (GBM) is more difficult to treat than other intractable adult tumors. The main reason that GBM is so difficult to treat is that it is highly infiltrative. Migrasomes are newly discovered membrane structures observed in migrating cells. Thus, they can be generated from GBM cells that have the ability to migrate along the brain parenchyma. However, the function of migrasomes has not yet been elucidated in GBM cells. RESULTS: Here, we describe the composition and function of migrasomes generated along with GBM cell migration. Proteomic analysis revealed that LC3B-positive autophagosomes were abundant in the migrasomes of GBM cells. An increased number of migrasomes was observed following treatment with chloroquine (CQ) or inhibition of the expression of STX17 and SNAP29, which are involved in autophagosome/lysosome fusion. Furthermore, depletion of ITGA5 or TSPAN4 did not relieve endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in cells, resulting in cell death. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, our study suggests that increasing the number of autophagosomes, through inhibition of autophagosome/lysosome fusion, generates migrasomes that have the capacity to alleviate cellular stress.

A Practical Guide to Inflow Control, Retraction, and Exposure for Robotic Hepatectomy.

Establishment of inflow control and gentle effective retraction of the liver for optimal exposure are critical to safe hepatectomy. Multiple methods have been previously reported for inflow control in minimally invasive (MIS) hepatectomy including Huang's Loop.1-3 We describe here the assembly and use of our modified version of Huang's loop that permits adjustable, atraumatic, and totally intracorporeal inflow control. We use a soft 16-French urinary catheter with a single premade opening near the blunt tip, across which a small slit is created. A beveled cut is made to the catheter 12-15 cm from the blunt tip and a suture sewn there that can be grasped to pull this beveled tail through the slit and window around the porta hepatis; this loop can be tightened or loosened with ease. For liver retraction, current techniques can be traumatic, especially when instruments apply traction directly onto the liver.4 Our preferred approach utilizes a liver sling made from a soft, rolled surgical sponge with 15-cm silk ties secured at each end; the length of the sling can be adjusted on the basis of thickness of the liver. The sling applies gentle, atraumatic "pulling" traction and is especially useful for exposure of the right posterior sector. We also use external band retraction to align the transection plane with the camera.5 Both also provide countertraction when advancing instruments into a firm or fibrotic liver. These techniques are commonly used in our MIS practice, and we have found them to be cost-efficient, easily reproducible, and effective.

Are you aware of your citations? A cross-sectional survey on improper citations of retracted articles in assisted reproduction.

RESEARCH QUESTION: Are authors aware when they have cited a retracted paper in their manuscripts in the medically assisted reproduction (MAR) field? DESIGN: A cross-sectional study based on an online survey was conducted to acquire information on the citation pattern from corresponding authors who had cited a retracted article. A dataset of retracted articles in the MAR field was collected from PubMed and Retraction Watch. A complete list of published articles that cited each retracted article was retrieved. The survey was distributed via e-mail to corresponding authors who had cited a retracted paper in their study. RESULTS: The survey revealed a significant lack of awareness among authors, with 78.7% unaware that they had cited retracted articles. This lack of awareness was attributed to insufficient notification mechanisms within research databases and journals, alongside a reliance on previously stored copies of manuscripts. A notable finding was that reference checks were typically performed by a single author, with no instances of retraction concerns raised during the peer-review process. Only a small fraction (17.8%) of respondents reported verifying retraction notices on both journal websites and scientific databases. CONCLUSIONS: Correcting publications that contain references which are subsequently retracted is significant for systematic reviews, meta-analyses and guidelines. Citations of retracted articles perpetuate erroneous scientific data, but assessing the accuracy of citations requires considerable effort. Proper notification of retraction status and cross-checking of citations can help to prevent errors.

MRI evaluation of cranial nerve abnormalities and extraocular muscle fibrosis in duane retraction syndrome and congenital extraocular muscle fibrosis.

PURPOSE: To investigate the alterations in extraocular muscles (EOMs) by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) among patients diagnosed with Duane retraction yndrome (DRS) and congenital fibrosis of the extraocular muscles (CFEOM), who present with various cranial nerve anomalies in an attempt to enhance the clinical diagnostic process. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted to evaluate 27 patients with DRS and 14 patients with CFEOM. All patients underwent MRI scans of the brainstem and orbital examination. Neurodevelopmental assessments were conducted through MRI, and maximum cross-sectional area and volumes of EOMs were obtained. Three types of models were constructed using machine learning decision tree algorithms based on EOMs to predict disease diagnosis, cranial nerve abnormalities, and clinical subtypes. RESULTS: Patients with bilateral CN VI abnormalities had smaller volumes of LR, MR, and IR muscles compared to those with unilateral involvement (P < 0.05). Similarly, patients with CFEOM and unilateral third cranial nerve abnormalities had a smaller maximum cross-section of the affected eye's SR compared to the contralateral eye (P < 0.05). In patients with both CN III and CN VI abnormalities, the volume of SR was smaller than in patients with CN III abnormalities alone (P < 0.05). The prediction model using EOMs volume showed a diagnostic precision of 82.5% for clinical cases and 60.1% for predicting cranial nerve abnormalities. Nonetheless, the precision for identifying clinical subtypes was relatively modest, at only 41.7%. CONCLUSION: The distinctive volumetric alterations in EOMs among individuals exhibiting distinct cranial nerve anomalies associated with DRS or CFEOM provide valuable diagnostic insights into to Congenital Cranial Neurodevelopmental Disorders (CCDDs). MRI analysis of EOMs should thus be regarded as a crucial diagnostic modality.

Eyelid retraction during smiling in a patient with monocular congenital ptosis: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Blepharoptosis is a common symptom in ophthalmology clinic, but eyelid retraction when smiling in a ptosis eye is a rare manifestation. Here we report a novel manifestation that eyelid retraction during smiling in a patient with monocular congenital ptosis. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 10-year-old girl with isolated and mild unilateral congenital ptosis showed eyelid retraction in ptotsis eye when smiling together with a lid lag on downgaze. She didn't have any systematic and ocular diseases other than myopia and astigmatism.Eyelid retraction during smiling is 5 mm, resulting in a significant difference in the height of bilateral palpebral fissures.As for ptosis, is mild.The margin to reflex distance 1 is 1.0 mm on the right eye(ptosis eye) and 3.0 mm on the left eye. A lid lag of 1.0 mm on downward gaze was noted on the right, she could close her eyes fully while sleeping.The ice pack test, laboratory test for thyroid function, whole-exome sequencing (WES) and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) of the orbital and ocular motor nerves showed normal results.Her symptoms alleviated after 6 months, with the retraction of the right upper eyelid when smiling was approximately 3 mm, thus the difference in the palpebral fissure height when smiling was smaller than that at the initial presentation. CONCLUSION: Blepharoptosis may accompanied with abnormal innervation like eyelid retraction, this phenomenon can be alleviated with age.The results of the levator muscle function test should be carefully examined to determine whether it is ptosis in an impaired innervation eyelid.

Ethics statements in Rheumatology journals: present practices and future directions.

Ethics statements are an essential aspect of research reporting. They aim to ensure the integrity and credibility of scientific research by maintaining high standards of professionalism and placing a strong emphasis on human well-being. Adhering to ethical norms is crucial for promoting data sharing, reproducibility, and overall research integrity. Ethics statements generally include adherence to legislation, disclosure of conflicts of interest, transparency in funding, standards of authorship, ethical treatment of research participants, and the management of sensitive data. The ICMJE, WAME, and COPE organizations offer recommendations to ensure the maintenance of these standards. The significant increase in publication volume in rheumatology research, along with the rise of social media and artificial intelligence, presents new and complex difficulties that require establishing clearer and universally accepted ethical guidelines. Rheumatology journals should prioritize the development of cohesive ethical principles as well as the encouragement of uniform ethics training for researchers, editors, and publishers.

Cylinder tumor surgery in pediatric low-grade gliomas.

BACKGROUND: Periventricular pediatric low-grade gliomas (pLGG) present a surgical challenge due to their deep-seated location, accessibility, and relationship with the subcortical network connections. Minimally invasive parafascicular approaches with tubular brain retractors (port brain surgery) have emerged, in recent years, as an alternative to conventional microsurgical and endoscopic approaches for removal of periventricular tumors. OBJECTIVES: To describe the minimally invasive approach with tubular brain retractors for periventricular pLGG, its technique, applications, safety, and efficacy. METHODS: In this article, we describe the port brain surgery techniques for periventricular pLGG as performed in different centers, with different commercialized tubular retractor systems. Illustrative cases followed by a literature review are analyzed, with a detailed description of different approaches or techniques, comparing their advantages and disadvantages with contemporary microsurgical and endoscopic approaches. CONCLUSIONS: The port brain surgery with micro-exoscopic vision and endoscopic assistance, for the treatment of deep-seated lesions such as periventricular pLGG, is an alternative for achieving a functionally safe-gross total or subtotal-tumor resection, obtaining adequate tissue for pathological examination. This technique could offer a new dimension for a less-invasive, safe, and effective access to deep-seated tumors, offering the possibility to lower morbidity in experienced hands.

Temporal lobe injury with middle fossa approach to intracanalicular vestibular schwannomas: a systematic review.

There are several surgical approaches for vestibular schwannoma (VS) resection. However, management has gradually shifted from microsurgical resection, toward surveillance and radiosurgery. One of the arguments against microsurgery via the middle fossa approach (MFA) is the risk of temporal lobe retraction injury or sequelae. Here, we sought to evaluate the incidence of temporal lobe retraction injury or sequela from a MFA via a systematic review of the existing literature. This systematic review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Relevant studies reporting temporal lobe injury or sequela during MFA for VS were identified. Data was aggregated and subsequently analyzed to evaluate the incidence of temporal lobe injury. 22 studies were included for statistical analysis, encompassing 1522 patients that underwent VS resection via MFA. The overall rate of temporal lobe sequelae from this approach was 0.7%. The rate of CSF leak was 5.9%. The rate of wound infection was 0.6%. Meningitis occurred in 1.6% of patients. With the MFA, 92% of patients had good facial outcomes, and 54.9% had hearing preservation. Our series and literature review support that temporal lobe retraction injury or sequelae is an infrequent complication from an MFA for intracanalicular VS resection.

Comparison of treatment effects during en-masse retraction of upper anterior teeth placed using mini-implants placed at infrazygomatic crest and interradicular sites: A randomized controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: The objective of this prospective study was to examine the efficacy of posterior interradicular and infrazygomatic crest mini-implants for en-masse anterior retraction. METHODS: The 22 patients were divided into two groups. In group 1 (IZC n = 11), mini-implants were placed in the infrazygomatic crests and in group 2 (IR, n = 11), mini-implants were placed in the molar-premolar interradicular sites. Soft tissue, skeletal, and dental treatment effects between two groups were compared using lateral cephalometric measurements. RESULTS: The average angle between the cranial base and A point was 1.01 degrees (P = .004), and the linear distance between the upper incisor and A point was 2.67 to 5.2 millimetres (P = .00). In IZC group the maxillary incisor to the palatal plane moved upward by a mean of -5.20 mm (P = .059), whereas in IR group the incisor movement changed by -2.67 mm (P = .068). There was no significant difference between groups IZC and IR while comparing overall treatment changes on upper incisor position change, angle, and overjet. CONCLUSIONS: Mini-implants placed in between the molar and premolar as well as the infrazygomatic crest can withstand the deepening of the bite during retraction. Mini-implants in IZC are capable of causing intrusion of the anterior teeth and preventing intrusion of the molars, thereby providing absolute anchoring in all planes. Placement of the mini-implants in the infrazygomatic crest resulted in more linear retraction.

Nerve root retraction time during lumbar endoscopic discectomy: association with new onset radiculitis, a post-operative neurologic complication.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the relationship between nerve root retraction time, post-operative radiculitis and patient reported outcomes. METHODS: Patients who underwent single- or multi-level lumbar discectomy between 2020 and 2022 for lumbar disk herniations were prospectively followed with pre-operative, interoperative and post-operative variables including radiculitis and patient reported outcomes including VAS, ODI and CAT domains Pain interference, Pain intensity and Physical function. Intraoperative nerve root retraction time was recorded. Paired sample two-tailed t-test and multivariate regression were utilized with p < 0.05 being significant. RESULTS: A total of 157 patients who underwent single- or multi-level endoscopic lumbar discectomy. Average patient age was 44 years, and 64% were male patients. Nerve retraction time ranged from 4 to 15 min. Eighteen percent reported new radiculitis at 2-weeks post-operatively. In patients with new-onset radiculitis 79.2% reported significantly worse VAS leg at 2 weeks post-operative (4.2 vs. 8.3, p < 0.001) compared to 12.5% who had improved VAS leg (9.3 vs. 7, p = 0.1181). Patients with radiculitis and worse VAS scores had substantially longer nerve retraction time (13.8 ± 7.5 min) than patients with improved VAS leg (6.7 ± 1.2 min). At 6 months, patients with longer nerve retraction time had no significant improvement in the ODI or CAT compared to the baseline. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study in discectomy literature to show that new onset radiculitis and poorer outcomes in VAS leg correlate with longer nerve retraction time at early and later time points.

Publication Ethics in the Era of Artificial Intelligence.

The application of new technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), to science affects the way and methodology in which research is conducted. While the responsible use of AI brings many innovations and benefits to science and humanity, its unethical use poses a serious threat to scientific integrity and literature. Even in the absence of malicious use, the Chatbot output itself, as a software application based on AI, carries the risk of containing biases, distortions, irrelevancies, misrepresentations and plagiarism. Therefore, the use of complex AI algorithms raises concerns about bias, transparency and accountability, requiring the development of new ethical rules to protect scientific integrity. Unfortunately, the development and writing of ethical codes cannot keep up with the pace of development and implementation of technology. The main purpose of this narrative review is to inform readers, authors, reviewers and editors about new approaches to publication ethics in the era of AI. It specifically focuses on tips on how to disclose the use of AI in your manuscript, how to avoid publishing entirely AI-generated text, and current standards for retraction.

An examination of retracted articles in nursing literature.

INTRODUCTION: The output of scholarly publications in scientific literature has increased exponentially in recent years. This increase in literature has been accompanied by an increase in retractions. Although some of these may be attributed to publishing errors, many are the result of unsavory research practices. The purposes of this study were to identify the number of retracted articles in nursing and reasons for the retractions, analyze the retraction notices, and determine the length of time for an article in nursing to be retracted. DESIGN: This was an exploratory study. METHODS: A search of PubMed/MEDLINE, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Retraction Watch databases was conducted to identify retracted articles in nursing and their retraction notices. RESULTS: Between 1997 and 2022, 123 articles published in the nursing literature were retracted. Ten different reasons for retraction were used to categorize these articles with one-third of the retractions (n = 37, 30.1%) not specifying a reason. Sixty-eight percent (n = 77) were retracted because of an actual or a potential ethical concern: duplicate publication, data issues, plagiarism, authorship issues, and copyright. CONCLUSION: Nurses rely on nursing-specific scholarly literature as evidence for clinical decisions. The findings demonstrated that retractions are increasing within published nursing literature. In addition, it was evident that retraction notices do not prevent previously published work from being cited. This study addressed a gap in knowledge about article retractions specific to nursing.

A systematic review of ENT retractions.

PURPOSE: Retraction is the removal of published material due to flaws in research that cannot be corrected. Our aim was to perform a systematic review of all retracted literature in Ear Nose and Throat to understand the characteristics of retraction and the citations of retracted literature. METHODS: The Retraction Watch, EMBASE and MEDLINE databases were systematically searched to yield relevant retractions. Two independent authors performed abstract and full-text screening. Non-relevant texts, articles in non-English languages, and articles that were neither published (protocols) or retracted (expression of concern) were excluded. RESULTS: We found 225 retractions in Ear Nose and Throat literature from 1992 to 2023. The number of retractions increased with time, and the average time-to-retraction was 1 year (range 0-29). Most articles were retracted due to misconduct (72%). In total, 191/225 of retractions were signposted with a retraction notice; 90.6% of notices were linked to the original manuscript; 96.9% specified the reason for retraction and 100% were freely accessible. Publications were cited more after retraction (median 2, range 0-215 vs median 0, range 0-78, Z -1.78, p = 0.075), however this was not significant, and appeared to improve with a shorter retraction time (RS 0.67, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Retractions, although rare, are increasing across all scientific disciplines. Our data suggests that retractions are both efficiently and transparently publicised in the Ear Nose and Throat Literature. Investigators should be veracious when conducting their own research and regularly appraise manuscripts to ensure that misinformation is not perpetuated, remaining aware that retracted articles continue to be cited.

Endoscopic ear surgery in the treatment of chronic otitis media with atelectasis.

PURPOSE: Atelectasis otitis media (AtOM) is a chronic condition where the tympanic membrane (TM) becomes retracted towards the middle ear and the ossicular chain. Surgical treatment for this condition could be indicated based on stage of atelectasis, patient's clinical condition and hearing loss. Over the years, AtOM has been treated with various types of tympanoplasty under microscopic view. The aim of this study is to present the results of endoscopic ear surgery in AtOM. METHODS: Forty-five patients who underwent endoscopic trans-canal tympanoplasty were included in the study. Preoperative features, intraoperative findings and postoperative outcomes were collected. RESULTS: Preoperatively, none of the study's patients were classified with a Sadè Grade I, whereas grades II, III and IV were 3 (6.6%), 23 (32.1%) and 19 (67.8%) respectively. The 3 patients with Sadè grade II showed a conductive hearing loss higher than 20 dB and a continuous ear fullness, therefore they were surgically treated. The postoperative graft success rate was estimated at 95.5%. During follow-up, 2 patients showed a TM perforation (at 6 and 12 months after surgery) whereas 1 patient experienced a recurrence of atelectasis in the TM (16 months after surgery). The overall success rate at the final follow-up was calculated at 88.8%. The average preoperative air-conduction threshold was 51.1 ± 21.5, which reduced to 34.6 ± 22.1 (p = 0.04) at follow-up. The preoperative air-bone gap decreased from 28 ± 7.2 to 11.8 ± 10 (p = 0.002) after surgery. CONCLUSION: Atelectasis otitis media might be suitable for exclusive endoscopic surgical treatment, as it appears to exhibit a low recurrence rate and promising audiological outcomes.