The effect of intraoperative intermittent pneumatic compression on deep venous thrombosis prophylaxis in patients undergoing elective craniotomy.

Objective: Postoperative deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is commonly observed in patients undergoing craniotomy and is associated with a high incidence of pulmonary embolism and poor clinical outcomes. Herein, we investigated the prophylactic effect of DVT of intraoperative intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) in patients undergoing craniotomy. Methods: A total of 516 patients who underwent elective craniotomy between December 2021 and December 2022 were enrolled in this study. Patients were randomly assigned to the intervention group (received intraoperative IPC) or control group (without IPC). Lower extremity ultrasound was performed on both legs before and after surgery (1 h, 24 h, and 7 days post-intervention). DVT was defined as the visualization of a thrombus within the vein lumen of the leg. Coagulation and platelet function were measured at the start and end of the craniotomy. Results: A total of 504 patients (251 in the intervention group and 253 in the control group) completed the study. Among these patients, 20.4% (103/504) developed postoperative DVT within the first week after surgery, with 16.7% occurring within 24 h. The incidence of postoperative DVT in the intervention group (9.6%, 24/251) was significantly lower than that in the control group (22.9%, 58/253, p < 0.001). Intraoperative IPC reduced the risk of DVT by 64.6% (0.354, 95% CI, 0.223-0.564, p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in coagulation and platelet function between the two groups (all p > 0.05). Conclusion: DVT may develop within 24 h after the craniotomy. Intraoperative application of IPC reduces the incidence of postoperative DVT.

Screening and characterization of a novel linear B-cell epitope on orf virus F1L protein.

Background: Orf, also known as contagious ecthyma (CE), is an acute, contagious zoonotic disease caused by the orf virus (ORFV). The F1L protein is a major immunodominant protein on the surface of ORFV and can induce the production of neutralizing antibodies. Methods: The prokaryotic expression system was used to produce the recombinant F1L protein of ORFV, which was subsequently purified and used to immunize mice. Positive hybridoma clones were screened using an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The reactivity and specificity of the monoclonal antibody (mAb) were verified through Western blot and indirect immunofluorescence (IFA). The linear antigenic epitope specific to the mAb was identified through Western blot, using truncated F1L proteins expressed in eukaryotic cells. A multiple sequence alignment of the ORFV reference strains was performed to evaluate the degree of conservation of the identified epitope. Results: After three rounds of subcloning, a mAb named Ba-F1L was produced. Ba-F1L was found to react with both the exogenously expressed F1L protein and the native F1L protein from ORFV-infected cells, as confirmed by Western blot and IFA. The mAb recognized the core epitope 103CKSTCPKEM111, which is highly conserved among various ORFV strains, as shown by homologous sequence alignment. Conclusion: The mAb produced in the present study can be used as a diagnostic reagent for detecting ORFV and as a basic tool for exploring the mechanisms of orf pathogenesis. In addition, the identified linear epitope may be valuable for the development of epitope-based vaccines.

Molecular detection and phylogenetic analysis of Orf viruses from goats in Jiangxi province, China.

Orf is a zoonosis caused by the Orf virus (ORFV), which is endemic in goats, sheep, and wild ruminants worldwide. Orf infection is prevalent in China, with outbreaks reported in several provinces. Currently, there is limited information available regarding the characterization of ORFV strains in Jiangxi province. This study investigated an acute outbreak of Orf that occurred in 2021 in a goat herd in the Jiangxi province of China. Clinical signs in this case included lesions on the lips, nose, and inside the mouth. The presence of ORFV was confirmed from tissue samples by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The nucleotide sequences of the B2L and F1L genes were fully sequenced and used to construct phylogenetic trees. The results of this investigation identified the ORFV JXxy2021 as the cause of the outbreak. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that the ORFV strain JXxy2021 had the highest similarity to the ORFV strains GO and FJ-SL from the neighboring province of Fujian. This suggests that JXxy2021 was likely transmitted from Fujian province. The results have provided valuable information on the genetic characteristics of JXxy2021 and the endemic situations of Orf in China.

Study on Tin-Cobalt Bimetallic Phosphide Nanoparticles as a Negative Electrode of Sodium-Ion Batteries.

Tin phosphide (Sn4P3) holds great promise because sodium-ion batteries use this material as an anode with impressive theoretical capacity. In this paper, it is reported that Co-doped Sn4P3 is embedded into carbon-based materials and SnCoP/C with a porous skeleton is prepared. As a result, SnCoP/C-2, as the material utilized in sodium-ion battery anodes, exhibits reversible capacities at 415.6, 345.9, and 315.6 mAh g-1 at current intensities of 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 A g-1, respectively. The electrochemical reversibility, cycle stability, and rate performance of SnCoP/C samples are obviously better than those of Sn4P3/C. Cobalt in SnCoP/C stabilizes the conductive matrix of tin phosphide and promotes the diffusion kinetics of sodium. These results show that, with an appropriate amount of cobalt doping, highly dispersed nanoparticles can be formed in the tin phosphide matrix, which can significantly enhance the cycle stability of tin-based electrode materials.

[Comparison of the efficacy of TiRobot orthopaedic robot assisted F screw technique and inverted triangle parallel nail internal fixation in the treatment of unstable femoral neck fractures].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of TiRobot assisted F screw technique and inverted triangle parallel nail internal fixation in the treatment of unstable femoral neck fractures. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 72 patients with unstable femoral neck fractures who were treated with percutaneous cannulated screw fixation assisted with TiRobot Orthopaedic robot from December 2019 to April 2021. Among them, 37 patients were treated with F screw internal fixation, including 16 males and 21 females, aged 47 to 64 years old with an average of （53.87±5.28） years old；According to Pauwels classification, there were 1 case of type Ⅰ, 19 cases of type Ⅱ, 17 cases of type Ⅲ；8 cases of combined medical diseases；17 cases of falling, 8 cases of traffic accident and 12 cases of falling from height；The time from injury to operation was 29 to 49 hours with average of （35.00±7.34） hours. Another 35 cases used internal fixation with an inverted triangle parallel nail, including 13 males and 22 females with an average age of 46 to 63 years old （52.36±5.05） years old；According to the Pauwels injury classification：there were 2 cases of type Ⅰ, 21 cases of type Ⅱ, 12 cases of type Ⅲ；6 cases of medical diseases, 15 cases of falling injury, 9 cases of traffic accident, 11 cases of falling injury；The time from injury to operation was 30 to 45 hours with an average of （33.00±6.83） h. The intraoperative blood loss, operation time, intraoperative fluoroscopy times, follow-up time, fracture healing time, postoperative complications were observed and compared between the two groups. The hip joint function was evaluated by Harris score at 6 months and 12 months after operation. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in operation time, intraoperative blood loss, intraoperative fluoroscopy times and other intraoperative data between two groups（P>0.05）. Both groups were followed up regularly, and the follow-up time was 12 to 16 months. The fracture healing time and Harris score of the F screw internal fixation group were better than those of the inverted triangle parallel nail internal fixation group （P<0.05）. There was 1 case of femoral neck shortening in the F screw internal fixation group, 1 case of nonunion, 1 case of nail withdrawal, and 1 case of lower extremity deep vein thrombosis in the inverted triangle internal fixation group. The incidence of complications in the F screw internal fixation group was lower than that in the inverted triangle parallel nail internal fixation group（P<0.05）. CONCLUSION: Percutaneous cannulated F screw technique using Tirobot navigation positioning system is a safe and effective treatment for patients with unstable femoral neck fractures. It can significantly shorten the fracture healing time, reduce the incidence of postoperative complications, significantly improve hip joint function, and improve the quality of life.

Interpretable Detection of Diabetic Retinopathy, Retinal Vein Occlusion, Age-Related Macular Degeneration, and Other Fundus Conditions.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR), retinal vein occlusion (RVO), and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) pose significant global health challenges, often resulting in vision impairment and blindness. Automatic detection of these conditions is crucial, particularly in underserved rural areas with limited access to ophthalmic services. Despite remarkable advancements in artificial intelligence, especially convolutional neural networks (CNNs), their complexity can make interpretation difficult. In this study, we curated a dataset consisting of 15,089 color fundus photographs (CFPs) obtained from 8110 patients who underwent fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) examination. The primary objective was to construct integrated models that merge CNNs with an attention mechanism. These models were designed for a hierarchical multilabel classification task, focusing on the detection of DR, RVO, AMD, and other fundus conditions. Furthermore, our approach extended to the detailed classification of DR, RVO, and AMD according to their respective subclasses. We employed a methodology that entails the translation of diagnostic information obtained from FFA results into CFPs. Our investigation focused on evaluating the models' ability to achieve precise diagnoses solely based on CFPs. Remarkably, our models showcased improvements across diverse fundus conditions, with the ConvNeXt-base + attention model standing out for its exceptional performance. The ConvNeXt-base + attention model achieved remarkable metrics, including an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.943, a referable F1 score of 0.870, and a Cohen's kappa of 0.778 for DR detection. For RVO, it attained an AUC of 0.960, a referable F1 score of 0.854, and a Cohen's kappa of 0.819. Furthermore, in AMD detection, the model achieved an AUC of 0.959, an F1 score of 0.727, and a Cohen's kappa of 0.686. Impressively, the model demonstrated proficiency in subclassifying RVO and AMD, showcasing commendable sensitivity and specificity. Moreover, our models enhanced interpretability by visualizing attention weights on fundus images, aiding in the identification of disease findings. These outcomes underscore the substantial impact of our models in advancing the detection of DR, RVO, and AMD, offering the potential for improved patient outcomes and positively influencing the healthcare landscape.

A Novel Surgical Approach for Big Sheet Allogenic Retinal Pigment Epithelium-Bruch Membrane Complex Transplantation Into the Subretinal Space.

PURPOSE: Allogenic transplantation of retinal pigmented epithelium monolayer sheet has experienced bottlenecks due to imperfect surgical techniques. In this study, we developed a novel approach for allogenic transplantation of big sheets of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)-Bruch membrane complex. METHODS: RPE-Bruch membrane complex sheets of 5 × 6 mm2 to 10 × 10 mm2 were taken from donated eyes. Through a novel approach, the sheets of RPE-Bruch membrane complex were transplanted into the subretinal space of eight eyes (8 patients) with late-stage retinitis pigmentosa. The patients were followed up for 5 ± 2 months. RESULTS: All RPE-Bruch membrane complexes were successfully inserted into the subretinal space during the surgery. Follow-up examinations also showed that the grafts attached well to the transplantation site. No rejection or retinal detachment was found. CONCLUSION: Through our technique, big sheets of allogenic RPE-Bruch membrane complexes could be implanted into the subretinal space smoothly. This novel approach may be useful for big sheet of allogenic RPE-derived or stem cells-derived RPE transplantation in the treatment of RP and other retinal dystrophic diseases.

The continuous treatment of anterior segment open globe injury: an eye injury vitrectomy study.

Background: The prognostic significance of debridement has long been demonstrated for trauma in tissues other than ocular. Unfortunately, the impact of wound healing in the anterior segment (AS) was not paid as much attention as in the posterior segment (PS). This study aims to evaluate whether a better prognosis can be obtained from continuous surgical treatment (CST) before fibrosis or scar formation in an open AS injury. Methods: In this prospective comparative cohort study, 19 eyes of 19 patients with an experience of AS open globe injury (OGI) were selected from the database of the eye injury vitrectomy study (EIVS) from January 1, 2020 to July 31, 2021. Of 19 patients, 9 who received CST were assigned to group 1, and 10 patients without CST after the initial wound repair were included in group 2. Comparison between the two groups was conducted in the final best corrected visual acuity (BCVA). Significant AS complications after injury were evaluated with χ2 test. The corneal leucoma area ratio, astigmatism, and the score of AS abnormalities were analyzed using the Student's t-test. Results: The differences of baseline clinical factors between the two groups were not statistically significant. The final BCVA was better in group 1 than in group 2 (P=0.011). The complications directly caused by AS injury, namely adhesive corneal leucoma, uneven anterior chamber, block of light passing through the pupil, and fibrosis or scarring, were more frequent in group 2 than in group 1 (P=0.011, 0.022, 0.037, and 0.040, respectively). Secondary glaucoma (3 cases) and severe AS structure destruction (2 cases) occurred only in group 2 (P=0.037 and 0.474, respectively). The area ratio of leucoma (0.79±0.44, 0.82±0.50, respectively) and corneal astigmatism (3.69±1.90, 4.50±4.80, respectively) revealed no statistical significance between the two groups. On the other hand, the score of AS abnormalities, mean values being 93.33±11.18 for group 1 and 67.00±29.46 for group 2, was statistically different (P=0.022). Conclusions: Initiating CST before fibrosis or scar formation might improve the prognosis of open AS injury, which was preferable to natural wound healing after wound repair.

Granule Dendrobii suppresses chronic atrophic gastritis induced by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine by modulating the gastrointestinal bacteria in rats.

Chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) is an important stage in the transformation of the normal gastric mucosa into gastric cancer. Granule Dendrobii (GD), a proprietary Chinese medicine, has proven clinical efficacy in treating CAG. GD might promote the reversal of precancerous lesions by improving them in CAG patients. However, the mechanism of GD in CAG treatment is relatively less understood. Here, N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG)-induced CAG rats were treated with GD and its efficacy was evaluated by observing the changes in the rats' weight and the pathology of gastric tissues. The potential effect of GD on the bacteria was predicted and verified in the large and small intestines and stomachs of CAG rats using amplicon sequencing and RT-qPCR. The results showed that GD could ameliorate the symptoms of body weight loss in CAG rats. Hematoxylin-Eosin (HE) and Alcian Blue (AB) staining showed that GD significantly improved the pathological state of the gastric mucosa in CAG rats. The relative abundance (RA) of Lactobacillus and Turicibacter significantly decreased after GD intervention compared with that of the model group (P < 0.05), indicating that GD might improve CAG by regulating the RA of Lactobacillus and Turicibacter. These findings revealed that Lactobacillus and Turicibacter as bacteria agents associated with gastritis, have the potential to inhibit gastric cancer, especially Turicibacter maybe another pathogen of CAG besides Helicobacter pylori (HP), which is worthy of further study. Meanwhile, the findings provided new ideas and materials for the research and development of new CAG drugs.

IL-38 alleviates airway remodeling in chronic asthma via blocking the profibrotic effect of IL-36γ.

Airway remodeling is a major feature of asthma. Interleukin (IL)-36γ is significantly upregulated and promotes airway hyper-responsiveness (AHR) in asthma, but its role in airway remodeling is unknown. Here, we aimed to investigate the role of IL-36γ in airway remodeling, and whether IL-38 can alleviate airway remodeling in chronic asthma by blocking the effects of IL-36γ. IL-36γ was quantified in mice inhaled with house dust mite (HDM). Extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition in lung tissues and AHR were assessed following IL-36γ administration to mice. Airway inflammation, AHR, and remodeling were evaluated after IL-38 or blocking IL-36 receptor (IL-36R) treatment in asthmatic mice. The effects of lung fibroblasts stimulated with IL-36γ and IL-38 were quantified in vitro. Increased expression of IL-36γ was detected in lung tissues of HDM-induced asthmatic mice. The intratracheal instillation of IL-36γ to mice significantly enhanced the ECM deposition, AHR, and the number of activated lung fibroblasts around the airways. IL-38 or blocking IL-36R treated asthmatic mice showed a significant alleviation in the airway inflammation, AHR, airway remodeling, and number of activated fibroblasts around airways as compared with the HDM group. In vitro, IL-36γ promoted the activation and migration of human lung fibroblasts (HFL-1). The administration of IL-38 can counteract these biological processes induced by IL-36γ in HFL-1cells. The results indicated that IL-38 can mitigate airway remodeling by blocking the profibrotic effects of IL-36γ in chronic asthma. IL-36γ may be a new therapeutic target, and IL-38 is a potential candidate agent for inhibiting airway remodeling in asthma.

Green and efficient synthesis of pure ß-sulfonyl aliphatic sulfonyl fluorides through simple filtration in aqueous media.

A green and efficient method for the synthesis of ß-sulfonyl aliphatic sulfonyl fluorides was developed. This reaction works in aqueous media under mild and environmentally benign conditions without any ligand or additive. The efficiency of this method is demonstrated by isolating the desired products obtained through simple filtration.

Comparison of ocular trauma between normalized and the COVID-19 epidemic periods in China: a multi-center cross-sectional study.

AIM: To compare the feature of ocular trauma between normalized period and the COVID-19 epidemic period in China, and to provide a profile for eye injuries in special times in future. METHODS: This is a multi-center cross-sectional study with 30 participated hospitals involving the China Ocular Trauma Society members. All hospitalized cases who visited the Ophthalmology Department in participated hospitals with eye injuries during the normalized period (2019) and the COVID-19 epidemic period (2020) were included in this study. Demographic characteristic of cases, date of injury, sites and types of injury were collected. RESULTS: This study involved 13 525 (61 cases with both eyes) injured cases. There were 7269 (53.74%) eye-injured cases and 6256 (46.26%) eye-injured cases in 2019 and 2020 separately. Compared with 2019, the incidence of ocular trauma in retirees, housewives and unemployed increased with year-on-year of 4.96%, 102.67%, and 11.64% among all occupations. In 2020, the incidence of eye injuries decreased in all injury sites except for an increase in home (30.29% year-on-year). The incidence of mechanical eye injuries decreased, while that of non-mechanical eye injuries (chemical/thermal/radiation) increased (47.45% year-on-year). There were 255 (3.51%, 255/7269) and 376 (6.01%, 376/6256) non-mechanical injured cases in 2019 and 2020 (Pearson Chi2=47.33, P<0.001) separately. CONCLUSION: During the COVID-19 epidemic period, the total cases of ocular trauma decrease but the proportion of non-mechanical ocular trauma increase. Penetrating is still the highest proportion among all types of mechanical ocular trauma. From a preventive point of view, protection for retired persons, housewives and unemployed persons should be improved during public health events period.

Research progress of fundus morphology in high myopia / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

High myopia is the main cause of visual impairment in the world. With the development of society, the myopia rate is increasing year by year. The development of high myopia is closely related to the progressive extension of the eye axis, and a series of fundus changes will inevitably occur with the extension of the eye axis, such as comus, lacquer cracks, choroidal neovascularization, macular choroidal atrophy, retinal detachment, posterior scleral staphyloma, etc. At present, characterized by younger age and high degree, myopia has become the main cause of blindness in China. This paper briefly summarizes the latest research on the morphological changes of the optic disc, macula, retina, choroid and sclera of high myopia, aiming to provide references for the development of intelligent prediction models, clinical diagnosis and further research on the treatment measures in combination with the fundus morphology of high myopia.

Mechanism of curcumin inhibiting choroidal neovascularization in brown Norway rat / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM:To investigate the mechanism of curcumin inhibiting the choroidal neovascularization(CNV)of brown Norway(BN)rats.METHODS: CNV model of 36 BN rats was established through laser photocoagulation induction, and they were divided into 6 groups with 6 rats in each group. Normal group was fed normally with no intervention, while 532nm laser photocoagulation was used to establish a experimental CNV model in BN rats. Rats after modeling were respectively intervened for 14d and divided into model group, ranibizumab group, curcumin low [100mg/(kg·d)], medium [200mg/(kg·d)], and high [400mg/(kg·d)] dose group. The model group was given intragastric administration of saline for 14d, ranibizumab(10mg/mL, 0.2mL/dose)was injected at 2d after photocoagulation with 5μL once for rats in ranibizumab group, and different concentrations of curcumin were intragastrically administrated to the rats in low, medium and high groups for 14d. Fundus photography, fundus fluorescein angiography(FFA)and indocyanine green angiography(ICGA)examination were performed at 14d after photocoagulation. Ocular histopathological specimens of rats with CNV were made, and the central thickness of CNV were observed by HE staining. Ocular histopathological specimens were made, and the expressions of AKT/p-AKT/HIF-1α/VEGF signaling pathway-related proteins were observed by immunohistochemistry. The mRNA relative expressions of AKT/HIF-1α/VEGF factor in CNV tissues were detected by RT-qPCR, and the protein expressions of AKT/p-AKT/HIF-1α/VEGF factor in CNV tissues were detected by Western-blot.RESULTS: CNV generation rates in the model group, the ranibizumab group, and the low, medium and high-dose curcumin groups were 78.18%, 73.21%, 77.19%, 75.86%, 74.55%, respectively, which were higher than 70%. The average absorbance were 182.12±6.59, 119.22±8.03, 166.45±8.33, 164.34±5.69, 149.22±6.45, respectively; the ranibizumab group was significantly lower than the model group(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05); the low-dose, medium-dose and high-dose groups were significantly higher than the ranibizumab group(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05), and the curcumin high-dose group was significantly lower than the model group(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05). HE staining showed that the retinal tissue structure of BN rats in normal group was clear and neatly arranged. The central thickness of CNV in the ranibizumab group was significantly reduced at 14d after photocoagulation compared with the model group(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05); While the curcumin high-dose group was significantly reduced compared with the model group(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05), but increased when compared with ranibizumab group(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05). Immunohistochemistry results showed that AKT, p-AKT, HIF-1α, and VEGF factors were negatively expressed in the retinal tissue structure of BN rats in the normal group, and no brown-yellow reactants were found. The expression of AKT, p-AKT, HIF-1α, and VEGF factors in the model group were higher than that in the normal group at 14d after photocoagulation(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05); the ranibizumab group was lower than the model group(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05). While the expression of the curcumin high-dose group was significantly decreased compared with the model group(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05), but significantly increased when compared with ranibizumab group(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05). The mRNA results showed that the relative expression levels of AKT, HIF-1α and VEGF mRNA in the model group at 14d after photocoagulation were higher than those of the normal group(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05); the ranibizumab group was lower than the model group(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05). While curcumin high-dose group was significantly decreased compared with the model group(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05), but significantly increased when compared with ranibizumab group(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05). Western-blot results showed that there was no significant difference in the relative expression of AKT protein among each experimental groups at 14d after photocoagulation. The relative expression of p-AKT protein in the model group was significantly higher than that in the normal group(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05); the ranibizumab group was significantly lower than the model group(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05); the curcumin high-dose group was significantly lower than the model group(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05). The relative expression levels of HIF-1α protein were significantly higher in the model group than in the normal group(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05), and the ranibizumab group was lower than in the model group(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05). The relative expression levels of HIF-1α protein was lower in the curcumin high-dose group than in the model group(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05)but higher than ranibizumab group(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05). The relative expression level of VEGF protein was significantly lower in the curcumin medium/high-dose group than in the model group(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05).CONCLUSION: Curcumin at 400mg/(kg·d)has an inhibitory effect on CNV in BN rats. The mechanism may be closely related to inhibiting the activation of AKT/p-AKT/HIF-1α/VEGF signaling pathways.

Clinical application of a quantitative method of atlantoaxial reduction angle in basilar invagination / 中华外科杂志

Objectives: To investigate the clinical application effect of a quantitative method of atlantoaxial reduction angle in basilar invagination. Methods: A retrospective analysis of clinical and radiographic data was conducted of 38 patients with complicated atlantoaxial dislocation and basilar invagination admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from May 2020 to May 2022. There were 5 males and 33 females, aged (53.5±9.9) years (range: 38 to 80 years). All patients underwent C1-2 interarticular fusion cage implantation+occipital-cervical fixation by pressing rob with the cantilever technique. The atlantoaxial reduction model of previous studies by our team was used to calculate the reduction angles before surgery. Then titanium rods of prebending angle were prepared according to the calculation before the operation. After that quantitative reduction of angle was performed during the operation. The paired t-test was used to compare the difference between the theoretical and actual reset value. Results: The theoretical reduction angle of all patients was (10.62±1.78)° (range: 6.40° to 13.20°), the actual reduction angle was (10.53±1.63)° (range: 6.70° to 13.30°) and there was no statistical difference between them (t=1.688, P=0.100). The theoretical posterior occipitocervical angle after the operation of all patients was (117.37±5.88)° (range: 107.00° to 133.00°), the actual posterior occipitocervical angle after the operation was (118.25±6.77)° (range: 105.40° to 135.80°) and there was no statistical difference between them (t=-0.737, P=0.466). The postoperative follow-up time of the patients was more than 6 months and the symptoms of all patients were relieved. All patients had satisfactory fusion between small joints without incision infection, internal fixation fracture, displacement, atlantoaxial redislocation, and other long-term complications. Conclusion: The quantitative method of atlantoaxial reduction angle in basilar invagination can calculate the theoretical reduction angle of the clivus axis angle and guide the preparation of the pre-bending titanium rod before surgery, so as to realize the quantification of the atlantoaxial reduction angle.

Research progress of circadian rhythm and circadian clock gene regulation in the development of myopia / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

With the development of society, the incidence of myopia and the population of myopia has increased year by year, which has become a major public health problem. Therefore, the research on the pathogenesis and prevention and control measures of myopia is imminent. In recent years, the role of the biological clock in the development of myopia has gradually attracted scholars interest. Now the author starts from the impact of the biological clock on the axial length, retina and choroid in the development of myopia. In order to provide new ideas for the study of prevention and control measures and the pathogenesis of myopia, a brief review is made from the perspective of contemporary society and disrupted body clock.

IL-24 Contributes to Neutrophilic Asthma in an IL-17A-Dependent Manner and Is Suppressed by IL-37.

PURPOSE: Neutrophilic asthma is associated with asthma exacerbation, steroid insensitivity, and severe asthma. Interleukin (IL)-24 is overexpressed in asthma and is involved in the pathogenesis of several allergic inflammatory diseases. However, the role and specific mechanism of IL-24 in neutrophilic asthma are unclear. We aimed to elucidate the roles of IL-24 and IL-37 in neutrophilic asthma, the relationships with IL-17A and the mechanisms regulating neutrophilic asthma progression. METHODS: Purified human neutrophils were isolated from healthy volunteers, and a cell coculture system was used to evaluate the function of IL-24 in epithelium-derived IL-17A-dependent neutrophil migration. IL-37 or a small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting IL-24 was delivered intranasally to verify the effect in a murine model of house dust mite (HDM)/lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced neutrophilic asthma. RESULTS: IL-24 enhanced IL-17A production in bronchial epithelial cells via the STAT3 and ERK1/2 signaling pathways; this effect was reversed by exogenous IL-37. Anti-IL-17A monoclonal antibodies reduced neutrophil chemotaxis induced by IL-24-treated epithelial cells in vitro. Increased IL-24 and IL-17A expression in the airway epithelium was observed in HDM/LPS-induced neutrophilic asthma. IL-37 administration or IL-24 silencing attenuated neutrophilic asthma, reducing IL-17A levels and decreasing neutrophil airway infiltration, airway hyperresponsiveness, and goblet cell metaplasia. Silencing IL-24 inhibited T-helper 17 (Th17) immune responses, but not Th1 or Th2 immune responses, in the lungs of a neutrophilic asthma model. CONCLUSIONS: IL-24 aggravated neutrophilic airway inflammation by increasing epithelium-derived IL-17A production, which could be suppressed by IL-37. Targeting the IL-24/IL-17A signaling axis is a potential strategy, and IL-37 is a potential candidate agent for alleviating neutrophilic airway inflammation in asthma.

IL-37 protects against airway remodeling by reversing bronchial epithelial-mesenchymal transition via IL-24 signaling pathway in chronic asthma.

BACKGROUND: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is one of the mechanisms of airway remodeling in chronic asthma. Interleukin (IL)-24 has been implicated in the promotion of tissue fibrosis, and increased IL-24 levels have been observed in the nasal secretions and sputum of asthmatic patients. However, the role of IL-24 in asthmatic airway remodeling, especially in EMT, remains largely unknown. We aimed to explore the effect and mechanism of IL-24 on EMT and to verify whether IL-37 could alleviate IL-24-induced EMT in chronic asthma. METHODS: BEAS-2B cells were exposed to IL-24, and cell migration was assessed by wound healing and Transwell assays. The expression of EMT-related biomarkers (E-cadherin, vimentin, and α-SMA) was evaluated after the cells were stimulated with IL-24 with or without IL-37. A murine asthma model was established by intranasal administration of house dust mite (HDM) extracts for 5 weeks, and the effects of IL-24 and IL-37 on EMT and airway remodeling were investigated by intranasal administration of si-IL-24 and rhIL-37. RESULTS: We observed that IL-24 significantly enhanced the migration of BEAS-2B cells in vitro. IL-24 promoted the expression of the EMT biomarkers vimentin and α-SMA via the STAT3 and ERK1/2 pathways. In addition, we found that IL-37 partially reversed IL-24-induced EMT in BEAS-2B cells by blocking the ERK1/2 and STAT3 pathways. Similarly, the in vivo results showed that IL-24 was overexpressed in the airway epithelium of an HDM-induced chronic asthma model, and IL-24 silencing or IL-37 treatment could reverse EMT biomarker expression. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, these findings indicated that IL-37 mitigated HDM-induced airway remodeling by inhibiting IL-24-mediated EMT via the ERK1/2 and STAT3 pathways, thereby providing experimental evidence for IL-24 as a novel therapeutic target and IL-37 as a promising agent for treating severe asthma.

Comprehensive visual electrophysiological measurements discover crucial changes caused by alcohol addiction in humans: Clinical values in early prevention of alcoholic vision decline.

Alcohol addiction often compromises vision by impairing the visual pathway, particularly the retina and optic nerve. Vision decline in alcoholics consists of a sequential transition from reversible functional deterioration of the visual pathway to irreversible clinical vision degeneration or vision loss. Thus, the control of alcoholic vision decline should focus on prevention before permanent damage occurs. Visual electrophysiology is a promising method for early detection of retinal dysfunction and optic neuropathy, including full-field electroretinography (ffERG) and pattern-reversal visual evoked potential (PR-VEP). So far, however, research studying the electrophysiological characteristics in the preclinical stage of vision decline caused by alcohol addiction is still lacking. Here we conducted a retrospective study with 11 alcoholics and 14 matched control individuals to address this need. We had performed comprehensive visual electrophysiological tests, including ffERG and PR-VEP. We next analyzed all electrophysiological parameters using multivariate statistical analyses and discovered some highly sensitive alterations to alcohol addiction. We found severely reduced amplitudes in scotopic ffERG oscillatory potentials (OPs) in alcohol addicts. These changes indicate the alcohol-induced disturbances of amacrine cells and retinal circulation. In subjects with alcohol addiction, the amplitudes of b-waves diminish significantly in scotopic but not photopic ffERG, implying the impaired function of the retinal rod system and the dysfunction of the inner retina. PR-VEPs elicited by checkerboard stimuli with large 1 degree (°) checks mainly reflect the state of the optic nerve and ganglion cells, and PR-VEPs provoked by small 0.25° checks mainly reflect the function of the macular. We performed both measurements and observed a robust amplitude reduction in all three peaks (N75-P100, P100-N135) and a significant peak time extension in P100. Our research provides an affordable and non-invasive tool to accurately evaluate visual pathway conditions in alcohol addicts and help clinicians take targeted treatment.