A meta-analysis of the efficacy of two-wall orbital decompression operations for thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy.

BACKGROUND: The main treatment for the symptoms of proptosis and optic nerve compression caused by thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy is orbital decompression surgery. Medial inferior wall decompression and balanced decompression are two frequently used surgical procedures. However, there is no unified consensus on how to choose different surgical options for orbital decompression in clinical practice. AIMS: To compare the effects of medial inferior wall decompression and balanced decompression surgery through meta-analysis and to provide reference for clinical optimal decision making. METHODS: Databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Ovid, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov, were searched for randomized controlled trials and cohort studies on decompression surgery for thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy published from inception to March 21, 2023. Using RevMan 5.3 software, a meta-analysis was conducted based on the following outcome indicators: proptosis, diplopia rate, intraocular pressure, visual acuity, and complication rate. RESULTS: Two randomized controlled trials and five cohort studies with a total of 377 patients were included in this analysis. After balanced decompression surgery, patients with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy experienced a significant decrease in proptosis [MD = 4.92, 95% CI (4.26, 5.58), P < 0.0001]. Balanced decompression can improve postoperative visual acuity [MD = - 0.35, 95% CI (- 0.56, - 0.13), P = 0.001] and intraocular pressure [MD = 5.33, 95% CI (3.34, 7.32), P < 0.0001]. The rates of proptosis [MD = 0.33, 95% CI (- 1.80, 2.46), P = 0.76] and diplopia [OR = 1.20, 95% CI (0.38, 3.76), P = 0.76] did not differ between patients who underwent medial inferior wall decompression and those who underwent balanced decompression. CONCLUSION: Balanced decompression and medial inferior wall decompression are both effective options for surgical treatment of thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy in clinical practice.

Early 7,8-Dihydroxyflavone Administration Ameliorates Synaptic and Behavioral Deficits in the Young FXS Animal Model by Acting on BDNF-TrkB Pathway.

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the leading inherited form of intellectual disability and the most common cause of autism spectrum disorders. FXS patients exhibit severe syndromic features and behavioral alterations, including anxiety, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and aggression, in addition to cognitive impairment and seizures. At present, there are no effective treatments or cures for FXS. Previously, we have found the divergence of BDNF-TrkB signaling trajectories is associated with spine defects in early postnatal developmental stages of Fmr1 KO mice. Here, young fragile X mice were intraperitoneal injection with 7,8-Dihydroxyflavone (7,8-DHF), a high affinity tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB) agonist. 7,8-DHF ameliorated morphological abnormities in dendritic spine and synaptic structure and rescued synaptic and hippocampus-dependent cognitive dysfunction. These observed improvements of 7,8-DHF involved decreased protein levels of BDNF, p-TrkBY816, p-PLCγ, and p-CaMKII in the hippocampus. In addition, 7,8-DHF intervention in primary hippocampal neurons increased p-TrkBY816 and activated the PLCγ1-CaMKII signaling pathway, leading to improvement of neuronal morphology. This study is the first to account for early life synaptic impairments, neuronal morphological, and cognitive delays in FXS in response to the abnormal BDNF-TrkB pathway. Present studies provide novel evidences about the effective early intervention in FXS mice at developmental stages and a strategy to produce powerful impacts on neural development, synaptic plasticity, and behaviors.

Self-Motion of Water Droplets along a Spacing Gradient of Micropillar Arrays on Copper.

Self-driven droplet transport along an open gradient surface is increasingly becoming popular for various microfluidics applications. In this work, a gradient copper oxide layer is formed on a copper sheet (as a bipolar electrode, BPE) in a KOH solution by bipolar electrochemistry. The deposits at different positions present a rich variety of colors, compositions, and microstructures along the longitudinal axis of the BPE. More than half the length of the anodic pole is covered by a Cu(OH)2/CuO composite layer of several micrometers thick, which is composed of dense micropillars with a decreasing spacing gradient to the anodic direction. The micropillar arrays are superhydrophilic, and after modified with 1-dodecanethiol, the tops of the dense micropillars constitute a hydrophobic and microscopically discontinuous surface with a wettability gradient. On such a gradient surface water droplets can move spontaneously to more hydrophilic direction at a velocity of about 16 mm s-1. The superhydrophobicity of the modified micropillar arrays is discussed through a comparison with the wax tubules on a lotus leaf. Theoretical analysis of the driving force reveals that the concave surface effect of water at the spacings between the micropillars is the critical factor for driving the rolling motion of the droplets along the gradient micropillar arrays.

Early environmental enrichment for autism spectrum disorder Fmr1 mice models has positive behavioral and molecular effects.

Autism spectrum disorder is a complex neurodevelopmental condition with genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity characterized by hallmark impairments in social functioning and repetitive behaviors. Fragile X syndrome (FXS), the leading single-gene form of autism spectrum disorder, is the most common form of inherited intellectual disability. Environmental enrichment has been shown to improve several aspects of brain development and affect histopathological, cognitive, and behavioral outcomes. However, the optimal time window to initiate it and improve cognitive and emotional development is largely unexplored. In the current study, we determined the longitudinal trends of BDNF-TrkB expression and dendritic development in FXS mice. Additionally, FXS mice were housed in an enriched environment when they showed significantly different BDNF-TrkB pathways and the phenotype of dendritic spines on postnatal day 10 (P10) until P60. The environmental enrichment delayed and attenuated some neurological alterations in FXS mice and prevented the development of cognitive and anxiety-related abnormalities and repetitive stereotyped behaviors. The correlation between neurotrophin-related pathways and multiple autistic-like behaviors was confirmed. Transcriptional profiling indicates that environmental enrichment increases the differences in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampal gene expression associated with the neural system and behavioral development. Our results provide novel evidence on the usefulness of early intervention for neurodevelopmental disorders as a strategy to facilitate positive effects on neural development and behaviors by acting on the BDNF/TrkB-PLCγ1-CaMKII pathway.

High-Performance Bifunctional Ni-Fe-S Catalyst in situ Synthesized within Graphite Intergranular Nanopores for Overall Water Splitting.

Low-cost and efficient bifunctional catalysts are urgently needed for overall water splitting used in large-scale energy storage. In this study, we develop a nickel and iron (di)sulfide (Ni-Fe-S) composite catalyst that is in situ synthesized and fixed within the intergranular nanopores inside high pure polycrystalline graphite. Two precursor solutions (reactants) may permeate the graphite intergranular pores to a depth of more than 3.5 mm. The nanoscale pores serve as an array of nanoreactors for the synthesis of the Ni-Fe-S nanoparticles under conditions much milder than usual. The prepared catalyst efficiently catalyzes both the hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions (HER and OER) in 1.0 M KOH. It delivers a current density of 400 mA cm-2 at a full cell voltage of around 2.3 V without considerable activity decay over 24 h electrolysis. The active species of the catalyst are different for the HER and OER and discussed accordingly. The synthesis strategy based on the nanopores in a monolithic conductive substrate proves to be a simple, efficient, and promising way to prepare electrocatalysts that are cheap, abundant, and industrially attractive.

Retracted: Antitumor Effects of 8-Deoxylactucin in RB355 Human Retinoblastoma Cells Are Mediated via Apoptosis Induction, Reactive Oxygen Species Production, and Cell Cycle Arrest.

An editorial decision has been made to retract this manuscript due to breach of publishing guidelines, following the identification of non-original and manipulated figures. Reference: Tan Guiying, Li Yue, Xiong Chao, Yu Jinhai, Xu Qihua: Antitumor Effects of 8-Deoxylactucin in RB355 Human Retinoblastoma Cells Are Mediated via Apoptosis Induction, Reactive Oxygen Species Production, and Cell Cycle Arrest.  Med Sci Monit 2019; 25:4575-4582. 10.12659/MSM.914242.

Calsyntenin-1 Negatively Regulates ICAM5 Accumulation in Postsynaptic Membrane and Influences Dendritic Spine Maturation in a Mouse Model of Fragile X Syndrome.

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that causes intellectual disability, as well as the leading monogenic cause of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), in which neurons show aberrant dendritic spine structure. The reduction/absence of the functional FMRP protein, coded by the X-linked Fmr1 gene in humans, is responsible for the syndrome. Targets of FMRP, CLSTN1, and ICAM5, play critical roles in the maturation of dendritic spines, synapse formation and synaptic plasticity. However, the implication of CLSTN1 and ICAM5 in dendritic spine abnormalities and the underlying neuropathologic processes in FXS remain uninvestigated. In this study, we demonstrated that CLSTN1 co-localizes and co-transports with ICAM5 in cultured cortical neurons. Also we showed that shRNA-mediated downregulation of CLSTN1 in cultured WT neurons increases ICAM5 on the surface of synaptic membrane, subsequently affecting the maturation of dendritic spines. Whereas, normalization of CLSTN1 level in Fmr1 KO neurons reduces ICAM5 abundance and rescues impaired dendritic spine phenotypes. Most importantly, CLSTN1 protein is reduced in the postnatal medial prefrontal cortex of Fmr1 KO mice, which is correlated with increased ICAM5 levels on the surface of synapses and excessive filopodia-like spines. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that CLSTN1 plays a critical role in dendritic spine formation and maturation in FXS by regulating ICAM5 redistribution.

Antitumor Effects of 8-Deoxylactucin in RB355 Human Retinoblastoma Cells Are Mediated via Apoptosis Induction, Reactive Oxygen Species Production, and Cell Cycle Arrest.

BACKGROUND Retinoblastoma is a rare malignancy arising from the immature cells of the retina, generally in children up to the age of 3 years. Here, we assessed the anticancer effects of a natural sesquiterpene lactone - 8-deoxylactucin - on the growth of the retinoblastoma RB355 and normal RPE cells. MATERIAL AND METHODS Cell viability was assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-Yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, and apoptosis was assessed by DAPI staining and annexin V/propidium iodide (PI) assay. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were determined by fluorescence microscopy. Flow cytometry was used to determine the cell cycle distribution. Protein expression was determined by Western blot analysis. RESULTS The results showed that 8-deoxylactucin exerted selective and potent anticancer effects on the RB355 cells and exhibited an IC50 of 25 µM. Nonetheless, the cytotoxic effects of 8-deoxylactucin on the normal RPF cells were comparatively lower, as evident from the IC50 of 65 µM. 8-Deoxylactucin increased the production of ROS and triggering apoptosis of RB355 cells. The induction of 8-deoxylactucin-induced apoptosis was also accompanied with increased cleavage of caspase 3, upregulation of Bax, and downregulation of Bcl-2. The 8-deoxylactucin-induced cell cycle arrest of RB355 cells was also associated with inhibition of cyclin A and B1 expression, as well as the inhibition of Cdc2 phosphorylation. CONCLUSIONS 8-Deoxylactucin inhibits the growth of RB355 cells by apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and increased production of ROS.

[The underlying mechanism for the connection between visual long-term memory and visual working memory].

Visual memory, mainly composed of visual long-term memory (VLTM) and visual working memory (VWM), is an important mechanism of human information storage. Since Baddeley proposed the multicomponent working memory model, the idea that VWM is independent of the VLTM system has been widely accepted. However, the new theoretical evidence suggested a close connection between VLTM and VWM. For instance, the three embedded components model describes the VLTM and VWM in the same framework, which suggests that VWM is only a distinct state of VLTM. On the one hand, the operating function of VWM is supported by the persistence of VLTM. On the other hand, the evidence from neuroimaging studies shows that VWM and VLTM tasks activate some same brain areas. In addition, the whole visual memory system shows a trend of processing from early visual cortex to prefrontal cortex. The present article not only reviews the current studies about the relationship between VLTM and VWM but also gives some forecasts for future studies.

[Attentional bias processing mechanism of emotional faces: anger and happiness superiority effects].

Emotional information is critical for our social life, in which attentional bias is now a focus in the study on attention. However, the attentional bias processing mechanism of emotional faces still arouses huge controversy. Using similar experimental paradigms and stimuli, the published studies have yielded contradictory results. Some studies suggest that angry faces could automatically stimulate attention, that is, there is an anger superiority effect. On the contrary, lines of growing evidence support the existence of a happiness superiority effect, suggesting that the superiority effect is shown in happy faces rather than angry faces. In the present paper, the behavioral and neuroscience studies of anger and happiness superiority effects are combined. It is found that there are three major reasons for the debate over the two types of effects, which include the choice of stimulus materials, the difference of paradigm setting, and the different stages of emotional processing. By comparatively integrating the previous published results, we highlight that the future studies should further control the experimental materials and procedures, and investigate the processing mechanism of anger and happiness superiority effects by combining cognitive neurobiology means to resolve the disputes.

Rapid identification of common medicinal snakes and their adulterants using the Bar-HRM analysis method.

Effective identification methods for snake species are lacking, exacerbating the extermination of medicinal and commercially valuable snake species. Hence, it is imperative to find fast and reliable methods to distinguish snake samples available on the market. Seventy-three samples from four families belonging to 13 genera were collected in China and found to contain common medicinal snakes and their adulterants. Cytochrome oxidase I (COI) was utilized as a DNA barcode to analyse these common snakes, and a DNA mini-barcode was employed for fast detection. Then, the DNA mini-barcode assays were coupled with a high-resolution melting (HRM) analysis (Bar-HRM) to realize the rapid discrimination of these snake species. The results showed the power of DNA barcoding with COI, which was capable of distinguishing all collected snake samples, and the combined Bar-HRM method can successfully identify the adulterants and different snake species. In particular, Bar-HRM revealed Bungarus fasciatus adulterants in B. multicinctus at concentrations as low as 1.6%. Moreover, the results of the study confirmed the effectiveness of the technique in terms of the rapid identification of snakes, which has great potential for ensuring the safety of commercially valuable snake species.

Primary spinal glioblastoma multiforme: A case report and review of the literature.

RATIONALE: Primary spinal glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a rare clinical entity with an aggressive course and an invariably dismal prognosis. Its clinical characteristics, radiologic and pathologic findings, and treatment protocols have been discussed in a few cases. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 15-year-old female was admitted to the neurology department with a chief complaint of progressive numbness and weakness in her left upper extremity for 3 months and neck pain for 1 month. DIAGNOSES: Spinal magnetic resonance imaging showed an intramedullary expansile mass localized between C4 and C7. The diagnosis of GBM was determined on the basis of the histopathological findings after operation. INTERVENTIONS: Laminotomy and laminoplasty between C4 and C7 were performed, and the tumor was partially resected. The patient was administered focal adjuvant radiotherapy concomitantly with oral chemotherapy following the surgery. OUTCOMES: With severe neurologic deficits at 13 months after the diagnosis, the patient expired. LESSONS: Although therapeutic options have been improving, the prognosis of the primary spinal GBM remains poor. The treatment of primary spinal GBM entered into a central registry and multiple-center cooperation is important in establishing future therapeutic strategies.

[Therapeutic effects of zinc supplement as adjunctive therapy in infants and young children with rotavirus enteritis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the therapeutic effects of oral zinc supplement in infants and young children with rotavirus enteritis, and its preventive effects against diarrhea recurrence within 3 months after treatment. METHODS: A total of 103 infants and young children with rotavirus enteritis were randomly divided into zinc supplement group (n=51) and conventional treatment group (n=52). Both groups were equally treated with a comprehensive therapy, besides which the zinc supplement group received zinc gluconate granules for 10 days. The treatment outcomes were examined at 72 hours after treatment, and the time required for the disappearance of positive symptoms and the recovery of injured extra-intestinal organs were determined. In addition, these patients were followed up for 3 months to determine the incidence of diarrhea recurrence after treatment. RESULTS: The overall response rate in the zinc supplement group was significantly higher than that in the conventional treatment group (90% vs 75%; P<0.05). The durations of diarrhea, high fever, and vomiting in the zinc supplement group were significantly shorter than that in the conventional treatment group (P<0.05). In addition, the recurrence rate of diarrhea and the incidence of severe diarrhea within 3 months after treatment in the zinc supplement group were significantly lower than in the conventional treatment group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Oral zinc supplement as adjunctive therapy is effective in treating infants and young children with rotavirus enteritis, and reducing the incidence and severity of diarrhea recurrence in the subsequent 3 months.

Polysaccharides from Polygonatum Inhibit the Proliferation of Prostate Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts.

Inhibition of cancer-associated broblasts (CAFs) may improve the efficacy of cancer therapy. Polysaccharide extracted from polygonatum can selectively inhibit the growth of prostate-CAFs (<.001) without inhibiting the growth of normal broblasts (NAFs). Polysaccharides from polygonatum stimulate autophagy of prostate-CAFs. 3-methyl-adenine(3-MA) is an autophagy inhibitor. 3-MA was added to prostate-CAFs with polysaccharide from polygonatum to determine whether autophagy plays an important role in the restrained effect. Finally, polysaccharide from polygonatum treatment significantly increased the activation of Beclin-1 and LC3, key autophagy proteins. Polysaccharides from polygonatum stimulate autophagy of prostate-CAFs and inhibits prostate-CAF growth, indicating that a novel anti-cancer strategy involves inhibiting the growth of prostate- CAFs.

[Comparison of four surgical procedures for the treatment of varicocele].

Objective: To compare the clinical effects of inguinal varicocelectomy, Palomo varicocelectomy,laparoscopic varicocelectomy, and microscopic varicocelectomy in the treatment of varicocele. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the pre- and post-operative clinical data about 318 cases of varicocele,108 treated by inguinal varicocelectomy,84 by Palomo varicocelectomy,68 by laparoscopic varicocelectomy, and 58 by microscopic varicocelectomy. We compared the operation time, hospital stay, pre- and post-operative sperm concentration and progressive motility, incidence of complications, rate of recurrence, and rate of sperm quality improvement among the four groups. Results: The operation times for the inguinal, Palomo, laparoscopic, and microscopic varicocelectomy procedures were(50. 3 ± 13. 9),(70. 4 ± 14. 3),(35. 1 ± 11. 1),and(65. 3 ± 13. 2) min, respectively, significantly shorter for the laparoscopic strategy than for the other three( P < 0. 05). The lengths of hospital stay of the four groups of patients were(6. 3 ± 1. 6),(5. 7 ± 1. 5),(4. 3 ± 1. 4),and(3. 4 ± 1. 3) d, respectively, remarkably shorter in the microscopic group than in the other three( P < 0. 05). The microscopic group also showed a significantly lower rate of postoperative complications, incidence of spermatic vein reflux, and recurrence( P < 0. 05) and higher rates of improvement in postoperative sperm concentration and progressive motility than the other three groups( P < 0. 05). Conclusion: Microscopic varicocelectomy is superior to inguinal,Palomo and laparoscopic varicocelectomy procedures in the treatment of varicocele for its lower incidence of complications, higher rate of sperm quality improvement,and shorter length of hospital stay. It is therefore more suitable to be applied in community hospitals.

[Facial motoneurons death and caspase regulatory gene expression following facial nerve injury].

PURPOSE: To investigate the morphology of facial motoneurons and its death course as well as caspase 3, caspase 8, cyto-c death proteins' expression and their correlation following facial nerve distal transection or crush in rats. METHODS: The right facial nerve underwent distal transaction and crush as experimental group, while the left facial nerve acted as normal control. We observed the morphology and the death course of motoneurons by light microscope and transmission electron microscope. Expressions of caspase 3, 8, and cyto-c protein were studied by immunohistochemistry (S-P) and image analysis. SPSS 10.0 software package was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: (1) Both axon distal transection and axon crush resulted in death of facial motoneurons. The motoneurons' loss reached peak 28 days after injuries and were mainly through apoptotic pathway. The number of motoneurons' loss in the distal transection group were more than that in the crush group. (2) Caspase 3, caspase 8 and cyto-c protein expressions were observed in wide spread areas of normal rat facial nucleus. In addition to neurons, glial cells were also stained. Cells of the distal transection group stained more strongly than that of crush group. Expressions of the proteins began to increase 3 days after the injuries. Caspase 3 and caspase 8 protein expression reached peak 14 days whereas cyto-c protein expression reached peak 7 days after the injuries. Expression of caspase 8 and cytoc protein were correlated with expression of caspase 3 protein. CONCLUSIONS: (1)Different facial nerve injuries result in death of facial motoneurons. The loss of motoneurons is related with the injuries' patterns. Clinical nerve reparation should be performed as early as possible within 4 weeks after the transection. (2)The expression of caspase 3, 8 and cyto-c protein were related with facial nerve injuries' patterns. Caspase 8 and cyto-c protein expressions were correlated with caspase 3 protein expression, indicating that caspase 8 and cyto-c may take part in activating caspase 3. Caspase cascade reaction may have an important role in the apoptosis of facial motoneurons.

Multimodal optical microscopy in combination with gold nanorods for cancer cell imaging.

The multimodal optical imaging technique, which utilizes nonlinear and linear optical processes, plays an important role in biological and biomedical research. As second-order nonlinear phenomenon, the two-photon luminescence (TPL) results from the nonlinear excitation of fluorescent molecules, while the second harmonic generation (SHG) depends on the second order nonlinear polarization, orientation, and noncentrosymmetric properties of molecules. In contrast, the linear resonance light scattering (RLS) occurs when the molecules are excited by a light beam with a wavelength close to their absorption bands. Since SHG, TPL, and RLS involve different kinds of optical processes, they might be used in parallel to provide complementary information about the structure and function of cells and tissues. Herein, we develop for the first time a multimodal optical microscopy with the capability of simultaneous SHG, TPL, and RLS imaging. We analyze theoretically and demonstrate experimentally the near-infrared irradiation-induced SHG, TPL, and RLS from the gold nanorods with nanometer spatial resolution. With the gold nanorods as the contrast agents, we further demonstrate the simultaneous SHG, TPL, and RLS imaging of A431 human epithelial skin cancer cells. This multimodal optical microscopy might provide a reliable and complementary approach for biological and biomedical research.

[Minimally invasive percutaneous nephrolithotomy under ultrasound and X-ray guidance for treatment of complicated renal calculi].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the therapeutic effect of minimally invasive percutaneous nephrolithotomy (MPCNL) under ultrasonic and X-ray guidance in the treatment of complicated renal calculi. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted among 36 patients undergoing MPCNL under ultrasonic and X-ray guidance for complicated renal calculi. The general clinical data, stone size, operative time, blood loss, complications and stone clearance rate were analyzed. RESULTS: Double working channel was established accurately under ultrasonic and X-ray guidance in the 36 cases. The stone clearance rate in one treatment session was 80.56%, with an average operation time of 100 min and a mean hospital stay of 13.5 days (13-15 days) after operation. A second lithotripsy was performed in 5 cases and no residual renal calculi were found 1 month after the operation. Sixteen out of the 18 patients with preoperative elevation of serum creatinine recovered normal creatinine level after the operation. CONCLUSION: MPCNL under ultrasonic and X-ray guidance is safe and effective for treatment of complicated renal calculi and is associated with few postoperative complications.

[Investigation of the (6, 1) and (7, 2) bands in the A 2IIi-X 2sigma+ red system of CN radical].

The CN radical was produced by Penning AC discharge of the mixture of trace acetonitrile (36 Pa) and helium (660 Pa) and the ro-vibrational spectra were measured by optical heterodyne magnetic rotation enhanced concentration modulation spectroscopy in the range of 16 850-17 480 cm(-1). 138 lines and 118 lines were assigned to the (6, 1) and (7, 2) bands in red system A 2IIi-X 2sigma+ of CN respectively, while others were due to (8, 3) band in CN red system and C2 Swan band system. More accurate molecular constants of A 2IIi (v = 6, 7) state and perturbation parameters zeta and eta between A and X states were derived based on nonlinear least-square fitting, individually, by diagonalizing the effective Hamiltonian matrix involving the perturbation elements of two electronical states and the standard deviation of fitting was less than the experimental uncertainty 0.007 cm(-1), which implied the accuracy of our results.