Management of experimental trabeculectomy filtering blebs via crosslinking of the scleral flap inhibited vascularization.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether UVA-light-activated riboflavin-induced collagen crosslinking (UVA-CXL) can maintain the function of filtering blebs after trabeculectomy (TRAB) in rabbits. METHODS: Thirty-six healthy rabbits were randomized to one of the following groups with 12 rabbits in each group: Trabeculectomy group (TRAB group), trabeculectomy combined with CXL group (CXL group), and trabeculectomy combined with MMC group (MMC group). Six rabbits of each group were performed with intraocular pressure (IOP), optical coherence tomography (OCT), and OCT angiography (OCTA). Bleb structure was observed via hematoxylin & eosin (H&E) and Masson staining. Immunohistochemistry, proteomic study, western blot, and tensile test were performed between CXL group and the control. In vitro, cell viability was evaluated by CCK-8 and Calcein/PI staining. TRPV4 and VEGF-a expression levels were measured by Q-PCR. Ca2+ concentration was observed with Fluo-4 AM. RESULTS: The IOP and bleb median survival day were significantly modified in CXL (5.92 ± 0.32 mmHg and 15.5 days) than TRAB group (7.50 ± 0.43 mmHg and 9 days). The bleb area and height increased. CXL inhibited vascularization, and vascularization peaked at postoperative day (POD) 14 and then decreased gradually. In proteomic analyses, Z disc, actin filament binding, and sarcomere organization were significantly enriched. CXL inhibited scleral stress‒strain in tensile tests. Compared with TRAB group, TRPV4 expression was significantly increased, but VEGF-a and TGF-ß1 levels were reduced in the CXL group in western blot. Meanwhile, TRPV4 expression colocalized with CD31. In vitro, CXL inhibited HUVECs cell viability. After CXL, expression level of TRPV4 was increased and calcium influx was activated, but VEGF-a was decreased in HUVECs. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that intraoperative UV-RF CXL can significantly improve the success rate of TRAB via inhibiting filtering bleb vascularization. CXL increased sclera stiffness, in turn, induced TRPV4 activation, thus contributing to vascular endothelial cells suppression.

Preparation of white rot fungal inoculum and its application to bioremediation of chlorimuron-ethyl-contaminated soil.

Chlorimuron-ethyl is currently the primary herbicide used for chemical weed control in a soybean field. In this study, a solid microbial inoculum (corn stalk-white rot fungus (W-1)) was prepared for the remediation of farmland soil contaminated by chlorimuron-ethyl. Firstly, the preparation method of the microbial inoculum was studied. Secondly, the degradation rate of the chlorimuron-ethyl in the ground by the solid microbial inoculum is improved by optimizing the proportion of the protective agent. Then the effects of applying solid microbial inoculum, free bacteria and corn straw on the degradation rate of chlorimuron-ethyl in soil were weighed. Finally, Illumina MiSeq sequencing was used to measure the composition and diversity of bacterial and fungal communities in the ground before and after using microbial inoculum. The degradation rate of chlorimuron-ethyl in soil by solid microbial inoculum was 84.87% after 20 d using corn straw as the support, room temperature drying, 4% Ca3(PO4)2 as the protective drying agent, and 1%(w) dextrin as the ultraviolet protective agent. Inoculation of white rot fungi could significantly affect the community structure of bacteria and fungi in the soil, making the chlorimuron-ethyl degrading communities become the dominant communities and playing an essential role in the degradation of chlorimuron-ethyl. The results showed that using solid microbial inoculum was an effective way to repair farmland soil polluted by chlorimuron-ethyl.

Unraveling intratumoral complexity in metastatic dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans through single-cell RNA sequencing analysis.

Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) stands as a rare and locally aggressive soft tissue tumor, characterized by intricated molecular alterations. The imperative to unravel the complexities of intratumor heterogeneity underscores effective clinical management. Herein, we harnessed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to conduct a comprehensive analysis encompassing samples from primary sites, satellite foci, and lymph node metastases. Rigorous preprocessing of raw scRNA-seq data ensued, and employing t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (tSNE) analysis, we unveiled seven major cell populations and fifteen distinct subpopulations. Malignant cell subpopulations were delineated using infercnv for copy number variation calculations. Functional and metabolic variations of diverse malignant cell populations across samples were deciphered utilizing GSVA and the scMetabolism R packages. Additionally, the exploration of differentiation trajectories within diverse fibroblast subpopulations was orchestrated through pseudotime trajectory analyses employing CytoTRACE and Monocle2, and further bolstered by GO analyses to elucidate the functional disparities across distinct differentiation states. In parallel, we segmented the cellular components of the immune microenvironment and verified the presence of SPP1+ macrophage, which constituted the major constituent in lymph node metastases. Remarkably, the CellChat facilitated a comprehensive intercellular communication analysis. This study culminates in an all-encompassing single-cell transcriptome atlas, propounding novel insights into the multifaceted nature of intratumor heterogeneity and fundamental molecular mechanisms propelling metastatic DFSP.

Homeostatic crosstalk among gut microbiome, hypothalamic and hepatic circadian clock oscillations, immunity and metabolism in response to different light-dark cycles: A multiomics study.

The accelerated pace of life at present time has resulted in tremendous alterations in living patterns. Changes in diet and eating patterns, in particular, coupled with irregular light-dark (LD) cycles will further induce circadian misalignment and lead to disease. Emerging data has highlighted the regulatory effects of diet and eating patterns on the host-microbe interactions with the circadian clock (CC), immunity, and metabolism. Herein, we studied how LD cycles regulate the homeostatic crosstalk among the gut microbiome (GM), hypothalamic and hepatic CC oscillations, and immunity and metabolism using multiomics approaches. Our data demonstrated that central CC oscillations lost rhythmicity under irregular LD cycles, but LD cycles had minimal effects on diurnal expression of peripheral CC genes in the liver including Bmal1. We further demonstrated that the GM could regulate hepatic circadian rhythms under irregular LD cycles, the candidate bacteria including Limosilactobacillus, Actinomyces, Veillonella, Prevotella, Campylobacter, Faecalibacterium, Kingella, and Clostridia vadinBB60 et al. A comparative transcriptomic study of innate immune genes indicated that different LD cycles had varying effects on immune functions, while irregular LD cycles had greater impacts on hepatic innate immune functions than those in the hypothalamus. Extreme LD cycle alterations (LD0/24 and LD24/0) had worse impacts than slight alterations (LD8/16 and LD16/8), and led to gut dysbiosis in mice receiving antibiotics. Metabolome data also demonstrated that hepatic tryptophan metabolism mediated the homeostatic crosstalk among GM-liver-brain axis in response to different LD cycles. These research findings highlighted that GM could regulate immune and metabolic disorders induced by circadian dysregulation. Further, the data provided potential targets for developing probiotics for individuals with circadian disruption such as shift workers.

The identification and validation of target genes of IGFBP3 protein in sheep skeletal muscle cells.

This study aimed to identify the target genes of IGFBP3（insulin growth factor binding protein）protein and to investigate its target genes effects on the proliferation and differentiation of Hu sheep skeletal muscle cells. IGFBP3 was an RNA-binding protein that regulates mRNA stability. Previous studies have reported that IGFBP3 promotes the proliferation of Hu sheep skeletal muscle cells and inhibits differentiation, but the downstream genes that bind to it have not been reported yet. We predicted the target genes of IGFBP3 through RNAct and sequencing data, and verified by qPCR and RIP（RNA Immunoprecipitation）experiments, and demonstrated GNAI2（G protein subunit alpha i2）as one of the target gene of IGFBP3. After interference with siRNA, we carried out qPCR, CCK8, EdU, and immunofluorescence experiments, and found that GNAI2 can promote the proliferation and inhibit differentiation of Hu sheep skeletal muscle cells. This study revealed the effects of GNAI2 and provided one of the regulatory mechanisms of IGFBP3 protein underlying sheep muscle development.

Effects of YAP1 on proliferation and differentiation of Hu sheep skeletal muscle satellite cells in vitro.

This study aimed to understand the expression level of YAP1 in the skeletal muscle of Hu sheep and to reveal the regulatory mechanism of YAP1 on Hu sheep skeletal muscle satellite cells (SMSCs). Previous research by our group has found that YAP1 may affect the growth and development of Hu sheep skeletal muscle. In the present study, we found the expression of YAP1 in the skeletal muscle is higher than in other tissues of Hu sheep. Then, we detected the effect of YAP1 on proliferation and differentiation in Hu sheep SMSCs. According to the results of qPCR, CCK-8, EDU, and Western blot, compared to the group of negative control, overexpression of YAP1 promoted the proliferation and inhibited the differentiation of SMSCs according to the results of qPCR, CCK-8, EDU, Western blot, while the interference of YAP1 was on the contrary. Overall, our study suggests that YAP1 is an important functional molecule in the growth and development of skeletal muscle by regulating the proliferation and differentiation of SMSCs. These findings are of great use for understanding the roles of YAP1 in the skeletal muscle of Hu sheep.

[Quality evaluation of Cnidii Fructus in commodity grade based on theory of "quality evaluation through morphological identification"].

From the perspective of market classification of Cnidii Fructus, this paper revealed the scientific connotation of evaluating the quality grade of Cnidii Fructus by its appearance traits. Thirty batches of Cnidii Fructus in different grades were selected as the research objects. The canonical correlation analysis and principal component analysis(PCA) were used to explore the measurement values of 15 appearance traits and intrinsic content indexes. The results of correlation analysis showed that except the aspect ratio, the 5 appearance trait indexes(length, width, 1 000-grain weight, broken grain weight proportion, and chroma) and 9 internal content indexes(the content of moisture, total ash, acid insoluble ash, osthole, imperatorin, 5-methoxy psoralen, isopimpinellin, xanthotoxin, and xanthotol) showed significant correlation to varying degrees. In addition, there was a significant positive correlation between the first typical variable U_1 composed of appearance traits and the first typical variable V_1 composed of internal content indexes(CR_1=0.963, P<0.01). The results of PCA showed that the classification results of appearance traits for 30 batches of Cnidii Fructus were consistent with the actual information of the samples. Under the same analysis conditions, 30 batches of Cnidii Fructus were reclassified by 9 groups of internal content indexes, and the analysis results were consistent. From the classification standard of the appearance traits of the system study, the statistical results of 6 appearance traits of Cnidii Fructus showed a correlation with grades. There was a good correlation between the appearance and the internal content of Cnidii Fructus, and the appearance quality effectively predicted the level of the internal content. There is a certain scientific basis for the quality classification of Cnidii Fructus by main appearance traits. Appearance classification can replace quality grading to realize the "quality evaluation through morphological identification" of Cnidii Fructus.

Uterine tumours with myogenic differentiation harbouring SRF::RELA fusions.

AIMS: In 2017, a subset of cellular variants of myofibroma and myopericytoma with a smooth muscle-like immunophenotype and harbouring recurrent SRF::RELA gene fusions was reported. Although the anatomical distribution was found to be quite broad, no tumours with these gene fusions in the female reproductive system have been illustrated to date. METHODS AND RESULTS: Herein, we report the histological and immunophenotypical features of three uterine tumours with SRF::RELA gene fusions. Microscopically, all three tumours were composed of cellular oval to spindle cells arranged in intersecting fascicles with variable amounts of collagen and a rich capillary network. Mitotic figures were scant. Regarding immunohistochemistry, diffuse staining for desmin, oestrogen receptor and progesterone receptor was observed in all three cases. The first case exhibited focal staining for h-caldesmon, whereas the latter two cases had diffuse staining. Furthermore, SRF::RELA rearrangement was observed in all three cases by using next-generation sequencing (NGS). Follow-up, ranging from 11 to 15 months, was available for these three patients, all of whom were well without evidence of disease. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, we reported a special group of uterine neoplasms with myogenic differentiation harbouring SRF::RELA rearrangement. Although the follow-up time was limited, morphological characteristics and other studies with follow-up data supported that this type of uterine neoplasm appeared to behave in a benign manner. Further studies with longer follow-up are needed to clarify the biological nature of this particular type of uterine tumour.

Ultrasound Cycloplasty in Chinese Glaucoma Patients: Results of a 6-Month Prospective Clinical Study.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the short-term efficacy and safety of ultrasound cycloplasty (UCP) procedure in Chinese glaucoma patients. METHODS: As a single-center, prospective, noncomparative study, 23 eyes of 23 patients suffering from glaucoma with uncontrolled intraocular pressure (IOP) ≥21 mm Hg underwent a multidose UCP treatment with the activations of 6, 8, or10 sectors. Types of glaucoma include primary open-angle glaucoma (7/23), primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) (9/23), and secondary glaucoma (SG) (7/23). A complete ophthalmic examination including intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements was performed before UCP procedure and at 1 day, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after the procedure. An IOP reduction of ≥20% and IOP >5 mm Hg without increasing hypotensive medication at the follow-up visit was defined as therapeutic success. The postoperative complications were also recorded and compared to baseline for safety evaluation. RESULTS: The mean baseline IOP of 23 treated eyes was 37.2 ± 12.1 mm Hg. The IOP reduction after UCP procedure was 23, 49, 33, and 34% at 1 day, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months, respectively. Thus, the corresponding overall therapeutic success rates reached 61% (14/23), 83% (19/23), 65% (15/23), and 61% (14/23), respectively. Baseline IOPs of 8- and 10-sector groups (37.0 ± 9.9 mm Hg and 50.1 ± 12.2 mm Hg) were significantly higher than that of 6 sector groups (30.1 ± 8.2 mm Hg). Therapeutic success rates of 6-, 8-, and 10-sector groups reached 44% (4/9), 56% (5/9), and 100% (5/5), respectively. There were the highest percentage of IOP reduction (50 and 41%) and therapeutic success rate (6/7; 86% and 7/9; 78%) in the SG group and PACG group, respectively. In addition, preoperative ocular pain symptoms of 4 patients were all disappeared within 1 week after UCP. No serious intraoperative or postoperative complications occurred. CONCLUSION: UCP procedure is an effective and well-tolerated treatment to reduce IOP in Chinese glaucoma patients, which offered a novel alternative for glaucoma treatment.

A New Approach for Evaluating Palatine Tonsillar Hypertrophy in Children Based on Ultrasound: A Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVES: To develop a novel ultrasound (US) plane to diagnose palatine tonsillar hypertrophy objectively in children. METHODS: Tonsillar ultrasonography of children (age 2-14 years) who had a clinical diagnosis of tonsillar hypertrophy or not were analyzed retrospectively. Clinical data (including gender, age, body mass index (BMI)), and volume (V) of tonsils measured by the US, were recorded. Furthermore, we found a new US plane to diagnose tonsillar hypertrophy and named it the submental oblique cross-section. In this plane, diameters of the left tonsil, right tonsil, and central oropharynx were designated as T1, T2, and O. Then, we calculated the ratio by the formula (T1 + T2)/O. RESULTS: A total of 172 cases (85 hypertrophy and 87 non-hypertrophy) were included in this study. There were no significant differences in gender (P = .844), age (P = .666), and BMI (P = .089) between the groups. In the non-hypertrophy group, the V of both sides had a positive linear correlation with age or BMI. In contrast, there was no linear correlation between ratio and age or BMI. The area under the curve (AUC) of ratio and V was 0.970 (95%CI: 0.947-0.993) and 0.835 (95%CI: 0.778-0.893) by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, respectively. The optimal cutoff value of ratio for diagnosis of tonsillar hypertrophy was 2.293 (sensitivity = 88.2%, specificity = 95.4%). CONCLUSIONS: We established a new US section to evaluate tonsillar hypertrophy. This approach could be easily acquired and provide a reference value to guide clinical practice.

Long Noncoding RNA Metastasis-Associated Lung Adenocarcinoma Transcript 1 Promotes the Osteoblast Differentiation of Human Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells by Targeting the microRNA-96/Osterix Axis.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether and how the long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) sponges microRNA-96 (miR-96) to achieve the osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs). METHODS: Protein levels were detected by Western blot. Mineralized bone matrix formation was studied by alizarin red staining. Metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1, miR-96, and osteogenesis-related Messenger RNA expression was assessed by Quantitative Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). The interactions between miR-96 and osterix (Osx), MALAT1, and miR-96 were determined by luciferase reporter assay. RESULTS: The expression of MALAT1 was upregulated whereas that of miR-96 was downregulated in osteogenic hBMSCs. In addition, the expression of MALAT1 significantly decreased whereas that of miR-96 increased in the hBMSCs of osteoporosis (OP) patients. qRT-PCR and alizarin red staining assays showed that MALAT1 silencing or miR-96 overexpression inhibits hBMSC osteogenic differentiation and vice versa. overexpression of miR-96 reversed the promotive effect of MALAT1 on the osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs. Dual luciferase report assay verified that miR-96 is a regulatory target of MALAT1 and that Osx is a gene target of miR-96. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, the results demonstrate that MALAT1 promotes the osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs by regulating the miR-96/Osx axis. Our study provides novel mechanistic insights into the critical role of lncRNA MALAT1 as a microRNA sponge in OP patients and sheds new light on lncRNA-directed diagnostics and therapeutics in OP.

The Short-Day Cycle Induces Intestinal Epithelial Purine Metabolism Imbalance and Hepatic Disfunctions in Antibiotic-Mediated Gut Microbiota Perturbation Mice.

Intestinal microbiota dysbiosis is related to many metabolic diseases in human health. Meanwhile, as an irregular environmental light-dark (LD) cycle, short day (SD) may induce host circadian rhythm disturbances and worsen the risks of gut dysbiosis. Herein, we investigated how LD cycles regulate intestinal metabolism upon the destruction of gut microbes with antibiotic treatments. The growth indices, serum parameters, concentrations of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and relative abundance of intestinal microbes were measured after euthanasia; intestinal contents, epithelial metabolomics, and hepatic transcriptome sequencing were also assessed. Compared with a normal LD cycle (NLD), SD increased the body weight, spleen weight, and serum concentration of aspartate aminotransferase, while it decreased high-density lipoprotein. Meanwhile, SD increased the relative abundance of the Bacteroidetes phylum while it decreased the Firmicutes phylum in the gut of ABX mice, thus leading to a disorder of SCFA metabolism. Metabolomics data revealed that SD exposure altered gut microbial metabolism in ABX mice, which also displayed more serious alterations in the gut epithelium. In addition, most differentially expressed metabolites were decreased, especially the purine metabolism pathway in epithelial tissue. This response was mainly due to the down-regulation of adenine, inosine, deoxyguanosine, adenylsuccinic acid, hypoxanthine, GDP, IMP, GMP, and AMP. Finally, the transcriptome data also indicated that SD has some negative effects on hepatic metabolism and endocrine, digestive, and disease processes. Overall, SD induced an epithelial and hepatic purine metabolism pathway imbalance in ABX mice, as well as the gut microbes and their metabolites, all of which could contribute to host metabolism and digestion, endocrine system disorders, and may even cause diseases in the host.

Feasibility, safety and outcomes of ambulation within 2 h postoperatively in patients with lung cancer undergoing thoracoscopic surgery.

AIMS: The aims of this study were to evaluate the safety, feasibility and outcomes of ambulation within 2 h after thoracoscopic surgery in patients with lung cancer. BACKGROUND: There are no consensus guidelines on the ideal time for early ambulation following thoracic surgery, although enhanced recovery programmes have been proposed since years. METHODS: This non-randomized, concurrent-control study was conducted on patients who underwent thoracoscopic surgery between October 2020 and February 2021. Participants were assigned to either the observation group (ambulation within 2 h of extubation) or the control group (ambulation on the first postoperative day). RESULTS: Of the 325 patients who were eligible, 227 were included in the study. Eighty-three per cent of patients were able to walk any distance within 2 h of extubation, and no adverse events occurred in patients. The length of hospital stay and time to first postoperative flatus were significantly shorter in the observation group than in the control group. There were no differences in the occurrence of postoperative complications and orthostatic hypotension, readmission rate and 6-min walk distance at discharge. CONCLUSION: Ambulation within 2 h of extubation was safe and feasible and could lead to better recovery in patients with lung cancer undergoing thoracoscopic surgery.

Study on degradation characteristics of imazamox by Streptomycetaceae.

The residues of imazamox (IMX) will cause phytotoxicity to subsequent crops after long-term use, and will also pollute the soil and its surrounding environment. This study isolates and identifies two strains of Streptomycetaceae JX02 and JX06 that can effectively degrade IMX. Use response surface method Box-Behnken design to optimize physicochemical parameters. The optimal degradation conditions of strains JX02 and JX06 are obtained and verified: IMX concentration is 150 mg L-1, the initial dosage is 9.9%, 9.1% (OD600 = 0.1), the temperature is 26.4 and 27.5 °C, and pH value is 7.0 and 7.7, respectively. The degradation rates of 150 mg L-1 IMX detected by HPLC within 4 d were 99 and 94%, respectively. After adding strains JX02 and JX06, the half-life of IMX in the soil is shortened to 11 d and 13 d, indicating that Streptomycetaceae had a positive effect on the remediation of soil. It is expected to provide scientific information for the rational use, environmental safety evaluation of IMX, and provide a basis for future research and development of microbial agents.

Changes in Intraocular Pressure and Angle Structure after Dilation in Primary Angle-Closure Suspects with Visually Significant Cataract.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety of pupillary dilation in primary angle-closure suspects (PACS) with concurrent visually significant cataract (VSC), to identify risk factors associated with elevated intraocular pressure (IOP), and to describe changes in anterior segment anatomy after pupillary dilation. DESIGN: Prospective study. PARTICIPANTS: Patients with PACS and VSC and no prior laser or intraocular surgery were recruited. Visually significant cataract was defined as best-corrected visual acuity ≤ 20/40 due to cataract. METHODS: Subjects' eyes were dilated with 0.5% tropicamide and 0.5% phenylephrine hydrochloride. A standardized eye examination, biometry, and swept-source OCT (SS-OCT) were performed before dilation. Intraocular pressure and SS-OCT were repeated 1, 4, and 6 hours postdilation (PDH1, PDH4, and PDH6, respectively). All parameters were compared between time points before and after dilation using paired t test. Linear regression models were used to determine the risk factors associated with postdilation IOP changes. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Change in IOP and SS-OCT parameters from baseline. RESULTS: Seventy-eight eyes from 78 patients were included, with 78, 66, and 12 patients completing the study at PDH1, PDH4, and PDH6, respectively. Mean IOP increased from 14.8 ± 2.6 mmHg at baseline to 15.5 ± 3.5 mmHg at PDH1 (P = 0.03) and decreased to 14.9 ± 3.1 mmHg at PDH4 (P = 0.09). Four patients (5.13%) and 3 patients (3.85%) had an increase in IOP ≥ 5 mmHg at PDH1 and PDH4, respectively. Two patients (2.56%) and 1 patient (1.28%) had an increase in IOP ≥ 8 mmHg at PDH1 and PDH4, respectively. None developed acute primary angle-closure during the observation period. Almost all anterior chamber parameters showed a significant increase after dilation at PDH1 and PDH4, except lens vault and iris volume, which decreased at PDH1 and PDH4 from baseline. Increase in anterior chamber depth was negatively associated with the level of IOP elevation after dilation (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Dilation of patients' eyes with PACS and VSC in this cohort appears to have a low risk for IOP spike. This may be associated with relaxation of the ciliary muscle leading to posterior displacement of the lens-iris diaphragm and deepening of the anterior chamber.

[Mechanism of Huanglian Wendan Decoction in improving impaired glucose tolerance based on skeletal muscle NLRP3/caspase-1/IL-1ß, IL-18 pathway].

This study investigated the mechanism of improving impaired glucose tolerance(IGT) of rats by Huanglian Wendan Decoction from the perspective of the skeletal muscle Nod-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3)/cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-1(caspase-1)/interleukin-1ß(IL-1ß), interleukin-18(IL-18) pathway. Healthy male SD rats were fed with the diet containing 45% fat for 20 weeks, accompanied by a high-temperature and high-humidity environment and an inactive lifestyle, for the establishment of the IGT rat model. The rats were divided into the blank control group, model control group, metformin hydrochloride group(positive drug group, 0.05 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)) and Huanglian Wendan Decoction group(7.8 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)). After continuous intragastric administration for 4 weeks, the obesity and glycemic indexes of all the rats were measured. The fasting serum insulin(FINS) level was determined by ELISA, with the insulin sensitivity index(ISI) and insulin resistance index(IRI) calculated. The mRNA and protein expression le-vels of nuclear factor kappaB(NF-κB), NLRP3, caspase-1, IL-1ß and IL-18 in skeletal muscle tissue were detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction(PCR), Western blot and immunofluorescence. Compared with the blank control group, the model control group witnessed significantly increased mRNA and protein expression of NF-κB, NLRP3, caspase-1, IL-1ß and IL-18. As revealed by the comparison with the model control group, Huanglian Wendan Decoction could effectively regulate the obesity status, reduce body weight, correct the abnormal levels of 2-hour plasma glucose(2 hPG), insulin resistance index(IRI), insulin sensitivity index(ISI), and lower the mRNA and protein expression of NF-κB, NLRP3, caspase-1, IL-1ß and IL-18 in the skeletal muscle tissue of IGT rats. Combined with previous studies, the above results showed that the occurrence and development of IGT was closely related to inflammatory response and the classic pyroptosis pathway in skeletal muscle, such as NLRP3/caspase-1/IL-1ß, IL-18. It is inferred that the mechanism of Huanglian Wendan Decoction was to alleviate insulin resistance(IR) and then reverse the course of IGT lies in the regulation of the abnormal insulin receptor signaling pathway based on the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway.

Prevention of medulla neuron dedifferentiation by Nerfin-1 requires inhibition of Notch activity.

The Drosophila larval central nervous system comprises the central brain, ventral nerve cord and optic lobe. In these regions, neuroblasts (NBs) divide asymmetrically to self-renew and generate differentiated neurons or glia. To date, mechanisms of preventing neuron dedifferentiation are still unclear, especially in the optic lobe. Here, we show that the zinc-finger transcription factor Nerfin-1 is expressed in early-stage medulla neurons and is essential for maintaining their differentiation. Loss of Nerfin-1 activates Notch signaling, which promotes neuron-to-NB reversion. Repressing Notch signaling largely rescues dedifferentiation in nerfin-1 mutant clones. Thus, we conclude that Nerfin-1 represses Notch activity in medulla neurons and prevents them from dedifferentiation.

Construction of electrochemical sensing interface towards Cd(II) based on activated g-C3N4 nanosheets: considering the effects of exfoliation and protonation treatment.

There is an urgent need to construct highly selective low-cost sensors for fast detection of toxic metal ions such as cadmium. When compared with 3D bulk materials, 2D layered materials after activation treatments show superior performances for electrochemical metal ion detection. The bulk graphitic carbon nitride (hereafter b-g-C3N4) was prepared by thermal polymerization with urea as a precursor; it was then activated through ultrasonic liquid exfoliation and protonation which resulted in successful fabrication of activated ultrathin g-C3N4 nanosheets (hereafter a-g-C3N4). The a-g-C3N4-modified glassy carbon electrode demonstrates excellent electrochemical performances for Cd2+ detection with 22.668 µA/µM sensitivity and 3.9 nM LOD (S/N = 3) due to high specific surface area and active sites created on the 2D layered structure. The chemical interference of Pb2+, Cu2+, and Hg2+ on Cd2+ detection was minimal. We have also measured Cd2+ in natural water and rice samples using the newly developed a-g-C3N4-modified electrode with high spike recoveries. Our results demonstrate the potential applications of newly developed a-g-C3N4-modified electrode for rapid detection of toxic metal ions in different sample matrixes. Graphical Abstract The activated g-C3N4 nanosheets (a-g-C3N4) were synthesized and used to construct electrochemical sensors with high sensitivity and anti-interference performance.

Peripheral anterior chamber depth and screening techniques for primary angle closure disease in community elderly Chinese.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the distribution of peripheral anterior chamber depth (ACD) and the relationship between peripheral ACD and gonioscopy compared to other ocular parameters for primary angle closure disease (PACD) screening. We performed a population-based survey in Pudong New District of Shanghai, China, in 2011. METHODS: Cross-sectional study. Adults 50 and older were enrolled from a population-based study using cluster random sampling in Pudong New District, Shanghai. Remote ocular screening was performed with digital anterior eye structure photography. Van Herrick measurements were used to evaluate the peripheral ACD, the depth of the peripheral anterior chamber, and corneal thickness (CT), and the ACD to CT ratio was calculated. Subjects with peripheral ACD less than 0.5 CT were made follow-up appointments for clinical examination with gonioscopy. Receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) were generated to show the performance of different tests in screening for primary angle closure disease (PACD). RESULTS: Two thousand five hundred twenty-eight adults participated in the study with 91 patients diagnosed with PACD. Two thousand four hundred sixty-three subjects had valid data in the right eye available for analysis. The mean peripheral ACD values for men and women were significantly different: 1.04 ± 0.46 (range 0.11-2.93) CT and 0.87 ± 0.41 (range 0.12-2.96) CT respectively (t = - 4.18; P<0.0001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis reveals that peripheral ACD declined by 0.31 CT (P < 0.0001) per diopter of SE and was 0.19 CT (P < 0.0001) shallower in women than in men (r2 = 0.1304, P < 0.0001). Peripheral ACD performed best in screening for PACD. CONCLUSIONS: Peripheral ACD measurement is recommended for PACD screening in community elderly Chinese.

Using 3-dimensional ultrasound islice technology for the diagnosis of developmental dysplasia of the hip.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the reliability of 3-dimensional (3D) ultrasound in screening for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) by comparing the results with those of 2-dimensional (2D) ultrasound. METHODS: One hundred five infants who were younger than 6 months were enrolled in this study. All of the infants underwent 2D and 3D ultrasound scanning for DDH by novices and experts, and the images were graded by a lead expert. The scanning time and image grades were analyzed by Student t tests (P < .05). The consistency of the α angle measurement between the novices and experts was evaluated by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). RESULTS: The 105 infants included 34 boys and 71 girls. On 2D scanning, there was agreement between the experts about the correct diagnosis, whereas in the novice group, 41 infants had misdiagnoses. There were no misdiagnoses with 3D scanning in either group. In the novice group, the mean image grades ± SD were 4.2 ± 1.3 (2D ultrasound) and 8.1 ± 0.7 (3D ultrasound; P < .05). In the expert group, the mean image grades were 7.4 ± 1.0 (2D ultrasound) and 8.2 ± 1.0 (3D ultrasound; P < .05). There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in the grades for 3D ultrasound (P = .83). The scanning time for 3D ultrasound was shorter than that for 2D ultrasound in both groups (P < .05). In the novice group, the ICC of the α angle between the 2D and 3D ultrasound results was 0.34, and in the expert group, it was 0.92. The ICCs were 0.35 and 0.84, respectively when comparing 2D and 3D ultrasound results in the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Three-dimensional ultrasound required less time and showed greater inter-rater reliability than 2D ultrasound for detecting DDH.