Dimethyl Sulfoxide Provides Three Different Units in Synthesis of Chroman-4-ones Containing Sulfur and a Quaternary Carbon Center under HOAc Conditions.

HOAc-promoted construction of chroman-4-ones with a sulfur atom and an α-carbonyl quaternary carbon center directly from ortho-hydroxyacetophenones and DMSO is described. In these unique reactions, DMSO is activated by HOAc and provides three different units (CH2, CH2OH, and CH2SMe) in the target molecules. This reaction displays good substrate scope and reaction yields with a series of substitutes. The mechanism showed that the three units were formed in sequential order.

[Review of Research Advances in Medical Service Robotics].

With the progress of science and technology and the increase of clinical demand, medical robots have developed rapidly and played a important role in promoting the medical cause. Service robot is a branch of medical robot, which is mainly oriented to medical service and assistance needs, and has been applied in many medical scenarios and achieved demonstration effects. This research first describes the development of medical service robots, and then summarizes the key technologies and clinical applications of robots. Finally, it points out the challenges and directions that medical service robots face at present, and puts forward prospects for their further development in the medical field.

SILICONE OIL-FILLED FOLDABLE CAPSULAR VITREOUS BODY VERSUS SILICONE OIL ENDOTAMPONADE FOR TREATMENT OF NO LIGHT PERCEPTION AFTER SEVERE OCULAR TRAUMA.

PURPOSE: To compare the anatomical and functional outcomes of silicone oil (SO)-filled foldable capsular vitreous body (FCVB) and SO endotamponade in vitrectomy for patients with no light perception after ocular trauma. METHODS: A total of 64 patients (64 eyes) with no light perception caused by severe ocular trauma were divided into FCVB and SO groups based on the surgical treatment. The main outcome measurements were retinal reattachment rate, intraocular pressure, best-corrected visual acuity, and number of operations. RESULTS: Both the FCVB group (29 eyes) and the SO group (35 eyes) showed significant improvement in postoperative best-corrected visual acuity and intraocular pressure. The two groups showed no significant differences in final intraocular pressure and the retinal reattachment rate. The postoperative vision (≥LP) in the FCVB group was significantly worse than in the SO group (FCVB [4/29] vs. SO [18/35], P = 0.003). However, the number of surgeries in the FCVB group was significantly lower than in the SO group (FCVB [1.10] vs. SO [2.23], P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Vitrectomy combined with SO endotamponade shows better short-term improvement in the treatment of no light perception caused by severe ocular trauma. However, SO-filled FCVB can effectively prevent many complications caused by direct SO endotamponade, such as secondary surgeries or SO dependence.

Effectiveness of a combined problem-based learning and flipped classroom teaching method in ophthalmic clinical skill training.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have primarily implemented problem-based learning (PBL) or flipped classroom (FC) teaching models in different majors; however, research on the combined PBL-FC teaching method in clinical medicine is scarce. Therefore, we investigated the combined PBL-FC teaching method in teaching ocular trauma on students' competencies. METHOD: About 75 ophthalmology postgraduates were randomly divided into PBL-FC and traditional teaching groups. Students completed pre-and post-class theoretical examinations, skills evaluation, learning ability scales, and feedback questionnaires. RESULTS: Both groups showed significantly higher theoretical scores and improved learning ability. Feedback questionnaire scores of the PBL-FC group's postgraduates without clinical experience were significantly higher than the traditional group's for some items; there was no difference between groups in postgraduates with clinical experience. PBL-FC group's pre-class preparation time was significantly longer than the traditional group's, but the post-class review time was significantly shorter. PBL-FC group's post-class theoretical performance was significantly higher than the traditional group's. There was no statistical difference between the groups regarding skill operation. Among postgraduates without clinical experience, the PBL-FC group's skill operation performance was significantly higher than the traditional group's; for postgraduates with clinical experience, the traditional group's skill operation performance was significantly higher than the PBL-FC group's. CONCLUSIONS: PBL-FC teaching is better for students without clinical experience or knowledge of ophthalmic diseases. Meanwhile, traditional teaching is a good choice for students with clinical experience who need more relevant knowledge.

COMPARING VITRECTOMY, SILICONE OIL ENDOTAMPONADE WITH/WITHOUT CYCLOPEXY TO TREAT CYCLODIALYSIS CLEFTS WITH SEVERE OCULAR TRAUMA.

PURPOSE: Comparing the anatomical and functional outcomes of vitrectomy, silicone oil endotamponade without cyclopexy (VEWOC) and with cyclopexy (VEWC) in patients with traumatic cyclodialysis clefts and severe ocular comorbidities. METHODS: A total of 55 patients (55 eyes) with traumatic cyclodialysis clefts were divided into VEWOC and VEWC groups according to the surgery undergone. Besides the cyclodialysis clefts, all study eyes had one or more additional conditions caused by severe ocular trauma: cataract, lens dislocation, vitreous hemorrhage, retinal detachment, choroidal detachment, maculopathy, suprachoroidal hemorrhage, subretinal hemorrhage, or proliferative vitreoretinopathy. The minimum postoperative follow-up period for all patients was six months. The main measures of outcome were rate of successful anatomical repair, intraocular pressure, and best-corrected visual acuity. RESULTS: Both the VEWOC group (33 eyes) and the VEWC group (22 eyes) showed significant improvement in postoperative best-corrected visual acuity and intraocular pressure at the final follow-up. The groups had no significant differences in terms of anatomical success rates (VEWOC 29/33 vs. VEWC 20/22, P = 1.000), final best-corrected visual acuity (VEWOC 1.60 ± 0.76 [median Snellen acuity: counting fingers, range: light perception to 20/20] vs. VEWC 1.46 ± 0.66 [median Snellen acuity: 20/800, range: light perception to 20/32], P = 0.485), and final intraocular pressure (VEWOC 13.40 [8.20-17.80] vs. VEWC 11.40 [6.65-14.00] mmHg, P = 0.311). However, the intraocular pressure on postoperative Day 1 was significantly different between the groups (VEWOC 10.40 [6.40-14.60] vs. VEWC 6.40 [4.70-7.98] mmHg, P = 0.002). CONCLUSION: This study showed that both surgical approaches were equally effective in treating cyclodialysis clefts secondary to severe ocular trauma. Therefore, it may be unnecessary to perform cyclopexy in addition to the vitrectomy procedure in such cases.

Low-level laser therapy induces human umbilical vascular endothelial cell proliferation, migration and tube formation through activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has been recognized as a light therapy that may be used for tissue regeneration, inflammation reduction, and pain relief. We intended to evaluate the effects of LLLT on the proliferation, migration, and tube formation of HUVECs as well as their related mechanisms. HUVECs were exposed to laser irradiation under different laser parameters (irradiation dose, interval and power intensity) in order to choose the optimal parameters, which were determined by the increase in proliferation of HUVECs as follows: irradiation dose of 4.0 J/m2, interval time of 12 h and 6 times in total. The HUVEC proliferation, migration, and tube formation, and levels of angiogenesis-related genes (HIF-1α, eNOS and VEGFA) were examined following LLLT. As suggested by the obtained data, LLLT (1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 J/m2) increased the HUVEC proliferation, migration, and tube formation in dose-and time-dependent manner, accompanied with increases in the levels of HIF-1α, eNOS, and VEGFA. Furthermore, the regulatory mechanism regarding the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) signaling pathway was explored, phosphorylation levels of PI3K and Akt proteins were assessed by Western blot assay, which showed the enhancement of phosphorylation of PI3K, Akt, and mTOR by LLLT. The inhibitor for the PI3K/Akt axis was used to verify the involvement of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. The obtained results suggested that the inhibition of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway attenuated the effects of LLLT on proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis of HUVECs. In conclusion, LLLT promotes the proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis of HUVECs via activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Salinity decreases Cd translocation by altering Cd speciation in the halophytic Cd-accumulator Carpobrotus rossii.

Background and Aims: Salt has been shown to affect Cd translocation and accumulation in plants but the associated mechanisms are unclear. This study examined the effects of salt type and concentration on Cd uptake, translocation and accumulation in Carpobrotus rossii. Methods: Plants were grown in nutrient solution with the same Cd concentration or Cd2+ activity in the presence of 25 mm NaNO3, 12.5 mm Na2SO4 or 25 mm NaCl for ≤10 d. Plant growth and Cd uptake were measured and the accumulation of peptides and organic acids, and Cd speciation in plant tissues were analysed. Key Results: Salt addition decreased shoot Cd accumulation by >50 % due to decreased root-to-shoot translocation, irrespective of salt type. Synchrotron-based X-ray absorption spectroscopy revealed that, after 10 d, 61-94 % Cd was bound to S-containing ligands (Cd-S) in both roots and shoots, but its speciation was not affected by salt. In contrast, Cd in the xylem sap was present either as free Cd2+ or complexes with carboxyl groups (Cd-OH). When plants were exposed to Cd for ≤24 h, 70 % of the Cd in the roots was present as Cd-OH rather than Cd-S. However, NaCl addition decreased the proportion of Cd-OH in the roots within 24 h by forming Cd-Cl complexes and increasing the proportion of Cd-S. This increase in Cd-S complexes by salt was not due to changes in glutathione and phytochelatin synthesis. Conclusions: Salt addition decreased shoot Cd accumulation by decreasing Cd root-to-shoot translocation due to the rapid formation of Cd-S complexes (low mobility) within the root, without changing the concentrations of glutathione and phytochelatins.

Orbital and intracranial Nocardia farcinica infection caused by trauma to the orbit: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Localized `and disseminated Nocardia farcinica infection is frequently reported in immunocompromised patients. However, orbital nocardiosis is rare, and, to our knowledge, traumatic orbital nocardiosis that affects the brain has never been described. Here, we report a case of traumatic orbital and intracranial N. farcinica infection in an immunocompetent patient. CASE PRESENTATION: A 35-year-old man, who was immunocompetent, to the best of our knowledge and as per the absence of immunodeficiency symptoms, with orbital trauma caused by the penetration of a rotten bamboo branch developed lesions in the orbit and brain. Subsequently, he underwent debridement and received broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy, but orbital infection occurred, with drainage of pus through the sinus tract. The patient then underwent endoscope-assisted local debridement. Bacterial culture of the sinusal pus was positive for N. farcinica, and a combined intracranial infection had developed. The disease was treated effectively by trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and ceftriaxone sodium therapy. The patient remained infection free and without complications at the 14-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Traumatic orbital and intracranial infection caused by N. farcinica is a rare infectious disease, and atypical presentations easily lead to misdiagnosis. When a patient presents with an atypical orbital infection that is unresponsive to empirical broad-spectrum antibiotics, along with suspicious neurologic symptoms, Nocardia infection should be considered. Identification by bacterial culture is the gold standard. Complete local debridement and appropriate antibiotic treatment are keys to the treatment of the disease.

Sodium chloride decreases cadmium accumulation and changes the response of metabolites to cadmium stress in the halophyte Carpobrotus rossii.

Background and Aims: Salinity affects the bioavailability of cadmium (Cd) in soils and Cd accumulation in plants, but the associated mechanisms remain unclear. This study aimed to assess the metabolic response to NaCl and Cd and the relationship between metabolites and Cd accumulation in the halophyte Carpobrotus rossii, which has potential for Cd phytoextraction. Methods: Plants were grown in nutrient solution with 0-400 mm NaCl in the presence of 5 or 15 µm Cd, with varied or constant solution Cd2+ activity. Plant growth and Cd uptake were measured, and the accumulation of peptides, and organic and amino acids in plant tissues were assessed. Key Results: The addition of NaCl to Cd-containing solutions improved plant growth along with 70-87 % less shoot Cd accumulation, resulting from decreases in Cd root uptake and root-to-shoot translocation irrespective of Cd2+ activity in solutions. Moreover, Cd exposure increased the concentration of phytochelatins, which correlated positively with Cd concentrations in plants regardless of NaCl addition. In comparison, Cd inhibited the synthesis of organic acids in shoots and roots in the absence of NaCl, but increased it in shoots in the presence of NaCl. While Cd increased the concentrations of amino acids in plant shoots, the effect of NaCl on the synthesis of amino acids was inconsistent. Conclusions: Our data provide the first evidence that NaCl decreased Cd shoot accumulation in C. rossii by decreasing Cd root uptake and root-to-shoot translocation even under constant Cd2+ activity. The present study also supports the important role of peptides and organic acids, particular of phytochelatins, in Cd tolerance and accumulation although the changes of those metabolites was not the main reason for the decreased Cd accumulation.

Marital Status and Survival of Patients with Hormone Receptor-Positive Male Breast Cancer: A Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Population-Based Study.

BACKGROUND Although marital status has been reported as a prognostic factor in different cancer types, its prognostic effect on hormone receptor (HR) positive male breast cancer (MBC) is unclear. The objective of the present analysis was to assess the effects of marital status on survival in patients with HR positive MBC. MATERIAL AND METHODS Patients diagnosed with HR positive MBC from 1990 to 2014 in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database were included. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazard regression were used to identify the effects of marital status on cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS A total of 3612 cases were identified in this study. Married patients had better 5-year CSS and 5-year OS than unmarried men. In multivariate Cox regression models, unmarried patients also showed higher mortality risk for both CSS and OS, independent of age, race, grade, stage, PR status, HER2 status, and surgery. Subgroup survival analysis according to different ER/PR status showed that married patients had beneficial CSS results only in ER+/PR+ subtype, and CSS in the married and unmarried groups did not significantly differ by TNM stage. The results were further confirmed in the 1: 1 matched group. CONCLUSIONS Marital status was an important prognostic factor for survival in patients with HR positive MBC. Unmarried patients are at greater risk of death compared with married groups. The survival benefit for married patients remained even after adjustment, which indicates the importance of spousal support in MBC.

Cadmium accumulation is enhanced by ammonium compared to nitrate in two hyperaccumulators, without affecting speciation.

Nitrogen fertilization could improve the efficiency of Cd phytoextraction in contaminated soil and thus shorten the remediation time. However, limited information is available on the effect of N form on Cd phytoextraction and associated mechanisms in plants. This study examined the effect of N form on Cd accumulation, translocation, and speciation in Carpobrotus rossii and Solanum nigrum Plants were grown in nutrient solution with 5-15 µM Cd in the presence of 1000 µM NH4 (+) or NO3 (-) Plant growth and Cd uptake were measured, and Cd speciation was analyzed using synchrotron-based X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Shoot Cd accumulation was 30% greater with NH4 (+) than NO3 (-) supply. Carpobrotus rossii accumulated three times more Cd than S. nigrum. However, Cd speciation in the plants was not influenced by N form, but it did vary with species and tissues. In C. rossii, up to 91% of Cd was bound to S-containing ligands in all tissues except the xylem sap where 87-95% were Cd-OH complexes. Furthermore, the proportion of Cd-S in shoots was substantially lower in S. nigrum (44-69%) than in C. rossii (60-91%). It is concluded that the application of NH4 (+) (instead of NO3 (-)) increased shoot Cd accumulation by increasing uptake and translocation, rather than changing Cd speciation, and is potentially an effective approach for increasing Cd phytoextraction.

rbm47, a novel RNA binding protein, regulates zebrafish head development.

BACKGROUND: Vertebrate trunk induction requires inhibition of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling, whereas vertebrate head induction requires concerted inhibition of both Wnt and BMP signaling. RNA binding proteins play diverse roles in embryonic development and their roles in vertebrate head development remain to be elucidated. RESULTS: We first characterized the human RBM47 as an RNA binding protein that specifically binds RNA but not single-stranded DNA. Next, we knocked down rbm47 gene function in zebrafish using morpholinos targeting the start codon and exon-1/intron-1 splice junction. Down-regulation of rbm47 resulted in headless and small head phenotypes, which can be rescued by a wnt8a blocking morpholino. To further reveal the mechanism of rbm47's role in head development, microarrays were performed to screen genes differentially expressed in normal and knockdown embryos. epcam and a2ml were identified as the most significantly up- and down-regulated genes, respectively. The microarrays also confirmed up-regulation of several genes involved in head development, including gsk3a, otx2, and chordin, which are important regulators of Wnt signaling. CONCLUSIONS: Altogether, our findings reveal that Rbm47 is a novel RNA-binding protein critical for head formation and embryonic patterning during zebrafish embryogenesis which may act through a Wnt8a signaling pathway.

A Strategy based on Bioinformatics and Machine Learning Algorithms Reveals Potential Mechanisms of Shelian Capsule against Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a prevalent and life-threatening form of cancer, with Shelian Capsule (SLC), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulation, being recommended for clinical treatment. However, the mechanisms underlying its efficacy remain elusive. This study sought to uncover the potential mechanisms of SLC in HCC treatment using bioinformatics methods. METHODS: Bioactive components of SLC were obtained from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP), and HCC-related microarray chip data were sourced from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The selection criteria for components included OB ≧ 30% and DL ≧ 0.18. By integrating the results of differential expression analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), disease-related genes were identified. Therapeutic targets were determined as shared items between candidate targets and disease genes. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis was conducted for concatenated genes, with core protein clusters identified using the MCODE plugin. Machine learning algorithms were applied to identify signature genes within therapeutic targets. Subsequently, immune cell infiltration analysis, single-cell RNA sequencing (sc-RNA seq) analysis, molecular docking, and ADME analysis were performed for the screened genes. RESULTS: A total of 153 SLC ingredients and 170 candidate targets were identified, along with 494 HCCrelated disease genes. Overlapping items between disease genes and drug candidates represented therapeutic genes, and PPI network analysis was conducted using concatenated genes. MCODE1 and MCODE2 cluster genes underwent Disease Ontology (DO), Gene Ontology (GO), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses. Four signature genes (TOP2A, CYP1A2, CYP2B6, and IGFBP3) were identified from 28 therapeutic genes using 3 machine learning algorithms, with ROC curves plotted. Molecular docking validated the interaction modes and binding abilities between signature genes and corresponding compounds, with free binding energy all <-7 kcal/mol. Finally, ADME analysis revealed similarities between certain SLC components and the clinical drugs Sorafenib and Lenvatinib. CONCLUSION: In summary, our study revealed that the mechanism underlying the anti-HCC effects of SLC involves interactions at three levels: components (quercetin, beta-sitosterol, kaempferol, baicalein, stigmasterol, and luteolin), pathways (PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, TNF signaling pathway, and IL-17 signaling pathway), and targets (TOP2A, CYP1A2, CYP2B6, and IGFBP3). This study provides preliminary insights into the potential pharmacological mechanisms of SLC in HCC treatment, aiming to support its clinical application and serve as a reference for future laboratory investigations.

Effect of navigation endoscopy combined with three-dimensional printing technology in the treatment of orbital blowout fractures.

AIM: To explore the combined application of surgical navigation nasal endoscopy (NNE) and three-dimensional printing technology (3DPT) for the adjunctive treatment of orbital blowout fractures (OBF). METHODS: Retrospective analysis was conducted on the data of patients with OBF who underwent surgical treatment at the Affiliated Eye Hospital of Nanchang University between July 2012 and November 2022. The control group consisted of patients who received traditional surgical treatment (n=43), while the new surgical group (n=52) consisted of patients who received NNE with 3DPT. The difference in therapeutic effects between the two groups was evaluated by comparing the duration of the operation, best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), enophthalmos difference, recovery rate of eye movement disorder, recovery rate of diplopia, and incidence of postoperative complications. RESULTS: The study included 95 cases (95 eyes), with 63 men and 32 women. The patients' age ranged from 5 to 67y (35.21±15.75y). The new surgical group and the control group exhibited no statistically significant differences in the duration of the operation, BCVA and enophthalmos difference. The recovery rates of diplopia in the new surgical group were significantly higher than those in the control group at 1mo [OR=0.03, 95%CI (0.01-0.15), P<0.0000] and 3mo [OR=0.11, 95%CI (0.03-0.36), P<0.0000] post-operation. Additionally, the recovery rates of eye movement disorders at 1 and 3mo after surgery were OR=0.08, 95%CI (0.03-0.24), P<0.0000; and OR=0.01, 95%CI (0.00-0.18), P<0.0000. The incidence of postoperative complications was lower in the new surgical group compared to the control group [OR=4.86, 95%CI (0.95-24.78), P<0.05]. CONCLUSION: The combination of NNE and 3DPT can shorten the recovery time of diplopia and eye movement disorder in patients with OBF.

Assessing and Optimizing Large Language Models on Spondyloarthritis Multi-Choice Question Answering: Protocol for Enhancement and Assessment.

BACKGROUND: Spondyloarthritis (SpA), a chronic inflammatory disorder, predominantly impacts the sacroiliac joints and spine, significantly escalating the risk of disability. SpA's complexity, as evidenced by its diverse clinical presentations and symptoms that often mimic other diseases, presents substantial challenges in its accurate diagnosis and differentiation. This complexity becomes even more pronounced in nonspecialist health care environments due to limited resources, resulting in delayed referrals, increased misdiagnosis rates, and exacerbated disability outcomes for patients with SpA. The emergence of large language models (LLMs) in medical diagnostics introduces a revolutionary potential to overcome these diagnostic hurdles. Despite recent advancements in artificial intelligence and LLMs demonstrating effectiveness in diagnosing and treating various diseases, their application in SpA remains underdeveloped. Currently, there is a notable absence of SpA-specific LLMs and an established benchmark for assessing the performance of such models in this particular field. OBJECTIVE: Our objective is to develop a foundational medical model, creating a comprehensive evaluation benchmark tailored to the essential medical knowledge of SpA and its unique diagnostic and treatment protocols. The model, post-pretraining, will be subject to further enhancement through supervised fine-tuning. It is projected to significantly aid physicians in SpA diagnosis and treatment, especially in settings with limited access to specialized care. Furthermore, this initiative is poised to promote early and accurate SpA detection at the primary care level, thereby diminishing the risks associated with delayed or incorrect diagnoses. METHODS: A rigorous benchmark, comprising 222 meticulously formulated multiple-choice questions on SpA, will be established and developed. These questions will be extensively revised to ensure their suitability for accurately evaluating LLMs' performance in real-world diagnostic and therapeutic scenarios. Our methodology involves selecting and refining top foundational models using public data sets. The best-performing model in our benchmark will undergo further training. Subsequently, more than 80,000 real-world inpatient and outpatient cases from hospitals will enhance LLM training, incorporating techniques such as supervised fine-tuning and low-rank adaptation. We will rigorously assess the models' generated responses for accuracy and evaluate their reasoning processes using the metrics of fluency, relevance, completeness, and medical proficiency. RESULTS: Development of the model is progressing, with significant enhancements anticipated by early 2024. The benchmark, along with the results of evaluations, is expected to be released in the second quarter of 2024. CONCLUSIONS: Our trained model aims to capitalize on the capabilities of LLMs in analyzing complex clinical data, thereby enabling precise detection, diagnosis, and treatment of SpA. This innovation is anticipated to play a vital role in diminishing the disabilities arising from delayed or incorrect SpA diagnoses. By promoting this model across diverse health care settings, we anticipate a significant improvement in SpA management, culminating in enhanced patient outcomes and a reduced overall burden of the disease. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/57001.

Anterior and pan-endophthalmitis caused by Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus: report of two cases.

We report two posttraumatic fungal endophthalmitis cases with anterior and entire segment involvement caused, respectively, by Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus. The anterior endophthalmitis induced by C. albicans presented multifocal lesions with hyphael structures in anterior chamber, but without involvement of posterior vitreous. The pan-endophthalmitis caused by A. fumigatus displayed significant hypopyon and vitritis. Treatment strategies are anterior chamber cleaning for anterior endophthalmitis and vitrectomy for pan-endophthalmitis, excepting systemic and topical antifungal drug applications including intravitreal injection for both types of endophthalmitis. There is a much better outcome in the case with anterior segment involvement than that with entire segment involvement. This case report provides evidence that the different types of posttraumatic fungal endophthalmitis related to different fungal infections indeed existed and should be managed with different strategies.

Combination surgery for management of perforating eye injury with retained magnetic intraorbital foreign body.

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and safety of vitrectomy combined with magnetic intraorbital foreign body (IOrFB) removal in the patients with perforating eye injury and retained magnetic IOrFBs. METHODS: A consecutive series of 7 patients with perforating eye injury and retained magnetic IOrFBs were included to perform secondary combination surgery (vitrectomy combined with IOrFB removal) after primary repair. Clinical data such as age, sex, hours and cause of injury, site and size of penetrating wound and IOrFB, involved intraocular tissues, surgical intervention, interval between surgeries, length of follow-up, anatomic recovery, visual outcome, and so on were recorded. RESULTS: Except for an unsuccessful IOrFB removal in case 6 in which IOrFB was finally extracted after 3 months, the remaining 6 cases had been operated on successfully both in vitrectomy and IOrFB removal. All the cases resulted in not only anatomic recovery but also good visual outcomes. No complications occurred. Seven cases revealed flat retina after silicone oil removal at a 3- to 12-month follow-up. Final best correct visual acuity equal to or better than 0.05 and 0.2 were 6 (85.7%) and 4 (57%) cases, respectively, and only 1 case was without improvement because of macular involvement. CONCLUSIONS: A combination surgery of vitrectomy with IOrFB removal is a highly efficient and safe procedure for the management of perforating eye injury with magnetic IOrFB. Prompt and proper management, such as preoperative exact localization of IOrFB, thoroughly cleaning of vitreous hemorrhage, complete sealing of retinal hole, and so on, is crucial for the successful achievement.

Adsorption and desorption characteristics of diphenylarsenicals in two contrasting soils.

Diphenylarsinic acid (DPAA) is formed during the leakage of aromatic arsenic chemical weapons in soils, is persistent in nature, and results in arsenic contamination in the field. The adsorption and desorption characteristics of DPAA were investigated in two typical Chinese soils, an Acrisol (a variable-charge soil) and a Phaeozem (a constant-charge soil). Their thermodynamics and some of the factors influencing them (i.e., initial pH value, ionic strength and phosphate) were also evaluated using the batch method in order to understand the environmental fate of DPAA in soils. The results indicate that Acrisol had a stronger adsorption capacity for DPAA than Phaeozem. Soil DPAA adsorption was a spontaneous and endothermic process and the amount of DPAA adsorbed was affected significantly by variation in soil pH and phosphate. In contrast, soil organic matter and ionic strength had no significant effect on adsorption. This suggests that DPAA adsorption may be due to specific adsorption on soil mineral surfaces. Therefore, monitoring the fate of DPAA in soils is recommended in areas contaminated by leakage from chemical weapons.

Ferroptosis-dependent breast cancer cell-derived exosomes inhibit migration and invasion of breast cancer cells by suppressing M2 macrophage polarization.

Aim: Ferroptosis, a novel type of iron-dependent cell death, plays a vital role in breast cancer progression. However, the function of ferroptosis-induced cancer cell-derived exosomes in breast cancer remains unclear. In this study, we attempted to investigate the impact of breast cancer cells-derived exosomes induced by ferroptosis on the polarization of macrophages and the progression of breast cancer. Methods: Erastin was used to induce ferroptosis and breast cancer cell-derived exosomes were identified by transmission electron microscopy. Western blot, quantitative reverse transcription PCR, immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, and ELISA were used to determine the role of exosomes in macrophage polarization. Transwell assays were used to detect breast cancer cell migration, and invasion. Results: Our results showed that erastin promoted ferroptosis in breast cancer cells with increased Fe2+ level and ROS production. Breast cancer cell-derived exosomes induced by ferroptosis were successfully isolated and verified to be internalized by macrophages. In addition, ferroptosis-induced breast cancer cell-derived exosomes (Fe-exo) remarkably diminished M2 marker, Arg-1 expression. The ratio of CD206+ macrophages was significantly decreased after Fe-exo treatment. CD206 protein expression and Arg-1 level were dramatically reduced in M2 macrophages incubated by Fe-exo. Moreover, autophagy PCR array showed that the expression of 84 autophagy-related genes were altered after macrophages were incubated by Fe-exo. Furthermore, macrophages incubated by Fe-exo repressed the migration and invasion of breast cancer cells. Conclusion: Ferroptosis-dependent cancer cell-derived exosomes inhibited M2 polarization of macrophages, which in turn inhibited migration and invasion of breast cancer cells. This study provides novel therapeutic strategies for patients with breast cancer.

Molecular evidence for potential transovarial transmission of Dabieshan tick virus in Haemaphysalis longicornis from Shandong Province, China.

Dabieshan tick virus (DBTV) is a newly identified arbovirus, first detected in Haemaphysalis longicornis collected from Hubei Province in 2015. It has been confirmed that DBTV is widely distributed in Shandong Province, China. However, its entomological and epidemiological features remain to be further explored, particularly the feasibility of transovarial transmission. Our research tries to explain the possibility of transovarial transmission of DBTV from engorged female ticks to their offspring. All engorged female adult ticks were sampled from domestic sheep and allowed to lay eggs and hatch in appropriate laboratory conditions. All engorged ticks, larvae and unhatched eggs were classified into pools for nucleic acid extraction and DBTV RNA detection. According to the results of qRT-PCR, the positive rate of DBTV was 6.25% (8/128) in engorged female ticks, 3.57% (1/28) in eggs and 5% (3/60) in larvae pools, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that DBTV isolates from larvae were similar to those from maternal ticks with more than 99.5% homology, and DBTV was relatively conservative in evolution. Our findings are the first to provide molecular evidence of potential transovarial transmission of DBTV among H. longicornis. Nonetheless, the transovarial transmission of DBTV in frequency and proportion occurring in nature deserves further investigation.