Microplasma radio frequency technology using stationary tips on pig skin: A histological study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the histological properties of microplasma radiofrequency (MPRF) using a stationary tip in different treatment strategies on porcine skin. METHODS: Two Bama miniature pigs received MPRF treatment with two types of stationary tips in eight groups of parameters (power, duration, and pass) on dorsal skin. Skin samples were collected from each treatment zone immediately, at 1 week and 1, 3, and 6 months after treatment. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) and Masson staining were performed to assess histologic changes as well as neocollagenesis. The dynamic changes of heat shock protein 47 (HSP47) and heat shock protein 72 (HSP72) were also detected by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Skin damage increased with pulse energy, duration, and pass. Longer durations or repeated treatments may cause particularly severe skin damage. During the wound healing process, the newborn collagen of the dermis is rearranged. The distribution of HSP47 and HSP72 was consistent with the extent of collagen remodeling. It peaked 1 month after treatment. CONCLUSION: MPRF can effectively cause epidermal ablation, dermal collagen hyperplasia, and remodeling. Increasing power should be the first choice when increasing treatment intensity. For longer durations or repeated treatments, caution should be taken to avoid excessive skin trauma.

Dual-functional heterogeneous Fenton catalyst Cu/Ti co-doped Fe3O4@FeOOH for cyanide-containing wastewater treatment: Preparation, performance and mechanism.

The dual-functional heterogeneous Fenton catalyst Cu/Ti co-doped iron-based Fenton catalyst (Cu/Ti -Fe3O4@FeOOH, FCT) were successfully prepared by precipitation oxidation method and characterized by XRD, XPS and XAFS. The prepared Cu/Ti co-doped Fe3O4@FeOOH nanoparticles consisted of goethite nanorods and magnetite rod octahedral particles, with Cu and Ti replacing Fe in the catalyst crystal structure, leading to the formation of the goethite structure. The heterogeneous Fenton catalyst FCT exhibited excellent degradation activity for cyanide in wastewater and showed different reaction mechanisms at varying pH levels. When treating 100 mL of 12 mg L-1 NaCN solution, complete degradation occurred within 40 min at 30 °C and pH ranging from 6.5 to 12.5 without external energy. Compared to Fe3O4, FCT shows superior degradation activity for cyanide. The surface Cu(Ⅰ) facilitated the electron transfer and significantly improved the catalytic activity of the catalyst. Additionally, the magnetic properties of the Ti-doped catalyst samples were greatly enhanced compared to the Cu@FeOOH catalyst doped with Cu, making them favorable for recycling and reuse. FCT maintains 100% degradation of cyanogen after three cycles, indicating its excellent stability. Furthermore, electron spin resonance spectroscopy, free radical quenching experiments and fluorescence probe techniques using terephthalic acid (TA) and benzoic acid (BA) confirmed that the presence of •OH and FeⅣ=O reactive species was responsible for the catalysts exhibiting different mechanisms at different pH conditions. Compared with other heterogeneous Fenton catalysts, FCT exhibits intentional degradation activity for cyanide-containing wastewater under different acid-base conditions, which greatly broadened the pH range of the heterogeneous Fenton reaction.

A Hydrogen Evolution Catalyst [Co2O2] Metallacycle Enables Regioselective Allene C(sp2)-H Functionalization.

Selective functionalization of allenic C(sp2)-H is an ideal approach to upgrading simple allenes to synthetically useful allenes, albeit suffering from challenges associated with inert reactivity and inferior selectivity. Inspired by energy chemistry, a catalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) strategy was leveraged to selectively activate weakly acidic allene C(sp2)-H bonds in a reductive mode. An array of [Co2O2] metallacycle complexes were readily devised starting from amino acids, and they were demonstrated as robust HER catalysts, which would selectively break allenic C(sp2)-H bonds to release hydrogen. With the newly developed HER catalyst, regioselective electrochemical functionalization of allenic C(sp2)-H with alcoholic α C(sp3)-H was unprecedentedly achieved. This strategy features excellent regioselectivity, unconventional chemoselectivity, good functional-group tolerance (62 examples), and mild conditions. Mechanism experiments revealed a reactive hydroxy-coordinated cobalt(II) species in the reaction. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were also conducted to rationalize the regioselectivity observed in the reaction.

Harnessing fine fibers in decellularized adipose-derived matrix for enhanced adipose regeneration.

Decellularized Adipose-Derived Matrix (DAM) has the function of inducing adipogenesis, but the distribution of adipogenesis is uneven. We found for the first time that DAM contains two structural components: The tough fibers DAM (T-DAM) and the fine fibers DAM (F-DAM). T-DAM was a dense vortex structure composed of a large number of coarse fibers, characterized by myoblast-related proteins, which cannot achieve fat regeneration and forms a typical "adipose-free zone". While the F-DAM was a loose structure consisting of uniform fine fibers, has more matrix-related proteins and adipose-related proteins. It can not only better promote the adhesion and proliferation of adipose stem cells in vitro, but also achieve the regeneration of adipose tissue in vivo earlier and better, with a uniform range of adipogenesis. The F-DAM is the main and effective kind of DAM to initiate adipose tissue regeneration, which can be picked out by ultrasound fragmentation.

Efficient extraction performance and mechanisms of Cd2+ and Pb2+ in water by novel dicationic ionic liquids.

Ten novel hydrophobic dicationic ionic liquids (DILs) were synthesized and applied for the extraction of heavy metals in aqueous solutions. Their physicochemical properties were measured at ambient temperature, and the leaching behaviors of the as-prepared DILs in water were assessed by TOC analysis. Metal extraction experiments were carried out to evaluate the extraction performances of the DILs. It was found that the extraction rates of up to 0.45 and 0.53 mg·(g·min)-1 were achieved with 100 mg DILs for 5 mL of 5 mg/L Cd2+ and Pb2+ solutions. Besides, the extraction efficiencies of Cd2+ and Pb2+ were respectively up to 95.48% and 98.46%, when the volumes of the simulated wastewater were expanded by a factor of 20 at a constant extraction phase ratio (1000 mg DILs for 50 mL of 5 mg/L Cd2+ or Pb2+ solutions). The reusability of the novel DILs was successfully proved by the back-extraction experiments with 0.5 M HNO3. Finally, taking Cd2+ extraction as an example, the extraction mechanism based on FTIR analysis and quantum chemical calculations showed that both S and O atoms in the anions of DILs had physical and quasi-chemical interactions with Cd2+, which were stronger than the electrostatic attraction.

A Visualization Method of Knowledge Graphs for the Computation and Comprehension of Ultrasound Reports.

Knowledge graph visualization in ultrasound reports is essential for enhancing medical decision making and the efficiency and accuracy of computer-aided analysis tools. This study aims to propose an intelligent method for analyzing ultrasound reports through knowledge graph visualization. Firstly, we provide a novel method for extracting key term networks from the narrative text in ultrasound reports with high accuracy, enabling the identification and annotation of clinical concepts within the report. Secondly, a knowledge representation framework based on ultrasound reports is proposed, which enables the structured and intuitive visualization of ultrasound report knowledge. Finally, we propose a knowledge graph completion model to address the lack of entities in physicians' writing habits and improve the accuracy of visualizing ultrasound knowledge. In comparison to traditional methods, our proposed approach outperforms the extraction of knowledge from complex ultrasound reports, achieving a significantly higher extraction index (η) of 2.69, surpassing the general pattern-matching method (2.12). In comparison to other state-of-the-art methods, our approach achieves the highest P (0.85), R (0.89), and F1 (0.87) across three testing datasets. The proposed method can effectively utilize the knowledge embedded in ultrasound reports to obtain relevant clinical information and improve the accuracy of using ultrasound knowledge.

Insulin-like Growth Factor 2 (IGF2)-Fused Lysosomal Targeting Chimeras for Degradation of Extracellular and Membrane Proteins.

Targeted degradation of the cell-surface and extracellular proteins via the endogenous lysosomal degradation pathways, such as lysosome-targeting chimeras (LYTACs), has recently emerged as an attractive tool to expand the scope of extracellular chemical biology. Herein, we report a series of recombinant proteins genetically fused to insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2), which we termed iLYTACs, that can be conveniently obtained in high yield by standard cloning and bacterial expression in a matter of days. We showed that both type-I iLYTACs, in which IGF2 was fused to a suitable affibody or nanobody capable of binding to a specific protein target, and type-II iLYTAC (or IGF2-Z), in which IGF2 was fused to the IgG-binding Z domain that served as a universal antibody-binding adaptor, could be used for effective lysosomal targeting and degradation of various extracellular and membrane-bound proteins-of-interest. These heterobifunctional iLYTACs are fully genetically encoded and can be produced on a large scale from conventional E. coli expression systems without any form of chemical modification. In the current study, we showed that iLYTACs successfully facilitated the cell uptake, lysosomal localization, and efficient lysosomal degradation of various disease-relevant protein targets from different mammalian cell lines, including EGFR, PD-L1, CD20, and α-synuclein. The antitumor properties of iLYTACs were further validated in a mouse xenograft model. Overall, iLYTACs represent a general and modular strategy for convenient and selective targeted protein degradation, thus expanding the potential applications of current LYTACs and related techniques.

The Association Between Eye Disease and Incidence of Dementia: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To better demonstrate the relationship between common eye diseases and the risk of dementia, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies to investigate the relationship between common eye diseases and dementia. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Patients with common eye diseases. METHODS: We conducted a systematic search of articles published up to August 25, 2022, of online databases including PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science. We included cohort studies that evaluated the association of glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy (DR), and cataracts with all-cause dementia, Alzheimer's disease (AD), and vascular dementia (VaD). Relative risks (RRs) and 95% CIs were pooled using random effects model, and heterogeneity was assessed by the I2 statistic. Subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis were also performed. RESULTS: In total, 25 studies were included in the meta-analysis, with a total of 11,410,709 participants. Pooled estimates suggested an increased risk of all-cause dementia associated with AMD (RR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.13-1.48), glaucoma (RR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.03-1.32), DR (RR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.21-1.63), and cataract (RR,1.23; 95% CI, 1.09-1.40); an increased risk of AD associated with AMD (RR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.06-1.52), glaucoma (RR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.02-1.38), DR (RR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.04-1.41), and cataracts (RR,1.22; 95% CI, 1.07-1.38). No association was observed between incident VaD and any eye diseases. The results of subgroup analyses were consistent with those in meta-analysis of DR and risk of all-cause dementia. Meta-regressions suggested geographic regions as potential sources of heterogeneity for the association between AMD and all-cause dementia, AMD and AD, glaucoma and dementia, glaucoma, and AD, respectively. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: AMD, glaucoma, DR, and cataract may be associated with an increased risk of all-cause dementia and AD, but not VaD. However, the results should be interpreted cautiously because of the high heterogeneity and unstable findings in some subgroup analyses.

Advances in immunotherapy for biliary tract cancers.

ABSTRACT: Biliary tract cancers (BTC) are a heterogeneous disease with poor prognosis, including gallbladder cancer (GBC), intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ECC). Although surgery is currently the primary regimen to treat BTC, most BTC patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage and miss the opportunity of surgical eradication. As a result, non-surgical therapy serves as the main intervention for advanced BTC. In recent years, immunotherapy has emerged as the one of the most promising therapies in a number of solid cancers, and it includes immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) monotherapy or combined therapy, tumor vaccines, oncolytic virus immunotherapy, adoptive cell therapy (ACT), and cytokine therapy. However, these therapies have been practiced in limited clinical settings in patients with BTC. In this review, we focus on the discussion of latest advances of immunotherapy in BTC and update the progress of multiple current clinical trials with different immunotherapies.

Associations between composite dietary antioxidant index and estimated 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk among U.S. adults.

Background: Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) remains the leading cause of death and disability both in U.S. and worldwide. Antioxidants have been proved critical in mitigating the development of atherosclerosis. This study aimed to investigate the associations between composite dietary antioxidant index (CDAI) and estimated 10-year ASCVD risk among U.S. adults. Methods: Data extracted from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were analyzed. A total of 10,984 adults aged 18 years and above were included in this study. CDAI was calculated based on the dietary intake reported in their 24-h recall interviews. The estimated 10-year ASCVD risk was calculated via Pooled Cohort Equations (PCE). Results: After adjusting potential confounders, it was indicated that CDAI score was negatively correlated with 10-year ASCVD risk (OR 0.97, 95% CI 0.95-0.99). Stratify CDAI score by quartile, results showed that participants in the second, third, and fourth quartiles had lower ASCVD odds ratio (Q2: OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.69-1.09; Q3: OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.62-0.98; Q4: OR 0.74, 95% CI 0.59-0.94) than those in the first quartile (Q1, lowest CDAI score group), which was confirmed by the trend test as well (p < 0.05). Subgroup analyses stratified by sex, age, race/ethnicity, and smoking status did not show significant effect modification. Conclusion: Higher dietary antioxidants intake is associated with lower ASCVD risk among U.S. adults, for which policymakers and healthcare professionals may consider increasing the consumption of antioxidant-rich foods as a preventive strategy for ASCVD.

Selection of Mechanical Fragmentation Methods Based on Enzyme-Free Preparation of Decellularized Adipose-Derived Matrix.

BACKGROUND: The decellularized adipose-derived matrix (DAM) has emerged as a promising biomaterial for inducing adipose tissue regeneration. Various methods have been employed to produce DAM, among which the enzyme-free method is a relatively recent preparation technique. The mechanical fragmentation step plays a crucial role in determining the efficacy of the enzyme-free preparation. METHODS: The adipose tissue underwent fragmentation through the application of ultrasonication, homogenization, and freeze ball milling. This study compared the central temperature of the mixture immediately following crushing, the quantity of oil obtained after centrifugation, and the thickness of the middle layer. Fluorescence staining was utilized to compare the residual cell activity of the broken fat in the middle layer, while electron microscopy was employed to assess the integrity and properties of the adipocytes among the three methods. The primary products obtained through the three methods were subsequently subjected to processing using the enzyme-free method DAM. The assessment of degreasing and denucleation of DAM was conducted through HE staining, oil red staining, and determination of DNA residues. Subsequently, the ultrasonication-DAM (U-DAM) and homogenation-DAM (H-DAM) were implanted bilaterally on the back of immunocompromised mice, and a comparative analysis of their adipogenic and angiogenic effects in vivo was performed. RESULTS: Oil discharge following ultrasonication and homogenization was significantly higher compared to that observed after freeze ball milling (p < 0.001), despite the latter exhibiting the lowest center temperature (p < 0.001). The middle layer was found to be thinnest after ultrasonication (p < 0.001), and most of the remaining cells were observed to be dead following fragmentation. Except for DAM obtained through freeze ball milling, DAM obtained through ultrasonication and homogenization could be completely denucleated and degreased. In the in vivo experiment, the first adipocytes were observed in U-DAM as early as 1 week after implantation, but not in H-DAM. After 8 weeks, a significant number of adipocytes were regenerated in both groups, but the U-DAM group demonstrated a more efficient adipose regeneration than in H-DAM (p = 0.0057). CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasonication and homogenization are effective mechanical fragmentation methods for breaking down adipocytes at the initial stage, enabling the production of DAM through an enzyme-free method that facilitates successful regeneration of adipose tissues in vivo. Furthermore, the enzyme-free method, which is based on the ultrasonication pre-fragmentation approach, exhibits superior performance in terms of denucleation, degreasing, and the removal of non-adipocyte matrix components, thereby resulting in the highest in vivo adipogenic induction efficiency.

Effect of radiation sterilization on the ability to induce adipose regeneration in vivo in decellularized adipose-derived matrix.

BACKGROUND: Decellularized adipose-derived matrix (DAM), a biological scaffold that can induce adipose regeneration. The balance between its sterilization efficiency and its ability to maintain in situ adipose regeneration should be considered in terminal sterilization. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of radiation sterilization of cobalt-60 (60 Co)with different doses on adipogenesis induced by different forms of DAM, so as to reduce radiation dose under the premise of safe and effective sterilization and ensure adipogenesis induced by DAM in vivo. METHODS: High dose (25 kGy) and low dose (5 kGy) radiation were used to sterilize freeze-dried and wet DAM, respectively. The sterilization efficiency, macro and micro characteristics, mechanical and mechanical properties of DAM were compared, and then implanted into the immunocompromised mice to evaluate the adipose regeneration. RESULTS: Under the two radiation doses, no microbial growth was found in the freeze-dried and wet DAM sterility tests, and no significant changes were observed in the macro and micro structures. In terms of mechanical properties, the elastic modulus of high dose freeze-dried DAM decreased significantly (p < 0.001). In vivo animal experiments, the freeze-dried DAM irradiated with high dose almost completely lost its function of adipogenesis in vivo. Although the wet DAM irradiated with high dose could induce fat regeneration in the early stage, the adipocyte deformation and atrophy appeared in the later stage. The freeze-dried and wet DAM after low dose irradiation was similar to the wet DAM without irradiation in the blank control, which could maintain excellent adipogenic and angiogenic functions in vivo. CONCLUSION: High dose 60 Co irradiation can completely destroy the ability of freeze-dried DAM to induce adipose regeneration in situ, while low dose irradiation (5 kGy) can effectively sterilize the DAM without damaging in vivo induced adipose regeneration. Radiation has more damage to freeze-dried DAM than wet DAM in adipogenesis properties.

Palladium Catalyzed Annulation of o-Iodo-Anilines with Propargyl Alcohols: Synthesis of Substituted Quinolines.

A palladium catalyzed annulation of o-iodo-anilines with propargyl alcohols for the synthesis of substituted quinolines has been developed. The reaction tolerates diverse functional groups under mild conditions, providing direct access to 2,4-disubstituted quinolines from easily available starting materials. A broad range of 2,4-disubstituted quinolines were efficiently prepared in good to excellent yields.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy or upfront surgery in hepatoblastoma: A multicenter retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: We retrospectively investigated the role of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in low-risk patients with hepatoblastoma (HB) who underwent curative resection between February 2009 and December 2017. We also verified the feasibility of the risk stratification system to select the optimal patients for upfront surgery. PROCEDURE: We compared 5-year overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) between the upfront surgery (n = 26) and neoadjuvant chemotherapy (n = 104) groups at three oncology centers in Beijing, China. To reduce the effect of covariate imbalance, propensity score matching (PSM) was used. We explored whether preoperative chemotherapy affected surgical outcomes and identified the risk factors for events and death, including resection margin status, PRETreatment EXTent of disease stages, age, sex, pathology classification, and α-fetoprotein levels. RESULTS: The median follow-up period was 64 (interquartile range 60-72) months. After PSM, 22 pairs of patients were identified, and the patient characteristics were similar for all variables included in PSM. In the upfront surgery group, the 5-year EFS and OS rates were 81.8% and 86.3%, respectively. In the neoadjuvant chemotherapy group, the 5-year EFS and OS rates were 81.8% and 90.9%, respectively. No significant differences in EFS or OS were observed between the groups. Pathological classification was the only risk factor for death, disease progression, tumor recurrence, other tumors found during HB diagnosis, and death from any cause (p = .007 and .032, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Upfront surgery achieved long-term disease control in low-risk patients with resectable HB, thus reduced the cumulative toxicity of platinum-based chemotherapy drugs.

Histological damage characteristics and quantitive analysis of porcine skin with non-insulated microneedle radiofrequency.

OBJECTIVE: In recent years, the microneedle radiofrequency (MRF) has been widely used for skin rejuvenation, but histological studies on the immediate trauma caused by different parameters of non-insulated RF microneedles METHODS: The skin of three pigs was treated with different needle depths, pulse widths and energy levels of non-insulated microneedle RF. Samples were collected before, immediately, and 2 weeks after treatment. The immediate histological response of each group was assessed and quantified by hematoxylin and eosin staining, Masson staining and Victoria Blue staining. RESULTS: In the treatment of non-insulated microneedle RF, different energy levels affected mainly the range of thermal damage (p = 0.044), and different needle depths affected mainly the depth of the cavity (p = 0.022). But the width of the coagulation zone width was determined by different factors. There was no significant difference in the histology of immediate damage caused by different pulse widths. Reepithelialization of the epidermis and basic wound repair can be completed within 2 weeks. CONCLUSION: Non-insulated RF microneedle therapy is an effective and safe treatment that can stimulate dermal wound healing with less thermal coagulation and a wide range of reversible thermal damage. However, it should be noted that the set needle depth may not correspond to the actual penetration depth, nor to the actual depth of histologic trauma.

Co-planting alters plant iron deficiency in heavy metals contaminated soil amended with sludge.

Heavy metals (HMs)-induced iron (Fe) deficiency severely inhibits plant growth and thus hampers phytoremediation and revegetation in HMs-contaminated soil. We conducted a 12-month pot experiment to investigate the effects and mechanisms of co-planting on altering plant HM-induced Fe deficiency. The landscape tree Ilex rotunda was co-planted with Ficus microcarpa and Talipariti tiliaceum in sludge-amended soil. The responses of I. rotunda growth, elements uptake, and rhizosphere microbial community and metabolites were analyzed. The addition of sludge increased cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn), and nickel (Ni) uptake and induced Fe deficiency-induced chlorosis in I. rotunda. This chlorosis was exacerbated when I. rotunda was co-planted with F. macrocarpa due to the increase in the abundance of sulfate reduction or Fe immobilization-associated bacteria and the relative level of isoprenyl alcohol and atropine in I. rotunda rhizosphere but the decrease in the contents of soil diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid Fe (DTPA-Fe) (-16.19 %). Co-planting with T. tiliaceum or F. macrocarpa and T. tiliaceum decreased the contents of total or DTPA Zn/Cd/Ni in the soil while increased the contents of soil DTPA-Fe by 13.24 % or 11.34 % and the abundance of microbes which contributed to immobilizing HMs or activating Fe reduction, and then alleviated the chlorosis and the growth inhibition of I. rotunda. These results provide a new perspective on the phytoremediation and revegetation of HMs-contaminated soil.

An engineered cascade-sensitized red-emitting upconversion nanoplatform with a tandem hydrophobic hydration-shell and metal-phenolic network decoration for single 808 nm triggered simultaneous tumor PDT and PTT enhanced CDT.

Near-infrared light (NIR) driven lanthanide-doped upconversion nanoparticle (UCNP) based photo-dynamic therapy (PDT) holds a great promise for the non-invasive treatment of deep-seated tumors. However, it has also been highly hindered by the low upconversion luminescence (UCL) efficiency, hypoxia nature of solid tumors, and low therapeutic efficiency using single modality. Herein, we present a novel Nd3+ → Yb3+ → Tm3+ → Er3+ cascade-sensitized red-emitting UCNP with tandem hydrophobic hydration-shell (HHS) and metal-phenolic network (Fe-tannic acid, Fe-TA) decoration (UCNP@HHS@Fe-TA, denoted as UCFS@Fe-TA) for single 808 nm triggered simultaneous tumor PDT and photothermal therapy (PTT) enhanced chemo-dynamic therapy (CDT). The UCNP can supply intense red emission under high tissue penetrating/minimized tissue overheating 808 nm excitation, and their HHS coating with perfluorocarbon/photosensitizer Ce6 co-doping can not only realize UCL-based PDT, but also strengthen PDT of as-formed UCFS via O2-carrying/UCL protection capacity of the HHS. Fe-TA coating can supply 808 nm triggered PTT, and the rise in temperature during PTT leads to enhanced Fenton catalytic activity of Fe-TA and faster ˙OH production rate of CDT to match with the real-timely released 1O2 in PDT. The as-designed UCFS@Fe-TA thus can achieve a single 808 nm triggered simultaneous PDT and PTT enhanced CDT, leading to a PTT-assisted reactive oxygen species storm for efficient tumor suppression. Such a design also renders the nanoplatform lower cell dark toxicity. In addition, the single excitation-triggered multimodal therapy mode might address the excitation wavelength mismatch issue in dual laser-triggered PTT/PDT mode. This study has therefore presented an efficient nanotherapeutic platform enabling synergistic multimodal tumor therapies with high biocompatibility.

Implementing interventions to promote spectacle wearing among children with refractive errors: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: To investigate the level of compliance of children with refractive errors who are provided free spectacles, and to identify the reasons for non-compliance. Methods: We systematically searched the PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases from the time these databases were established to April 2022, including studies published in English. The search terms were "randomized controlled trial" [Publication Type] OR "randomized" [Title/Abstract], OR "placebo" [Title/Abstract]) AND (("Refractive Errors"[MeSH Terms] OR ("error refractive" [Title/Abstract] OR "errors refractive" [Title/Abstract] OR "refractive error" [Title/Abstract] OR "refractive disorders" [Title/Abstract] OR "disorder refractive" [Title/Abstract] OR "disorders refractive" [Title/Abstract] OR "refractive disorder" [Title/Abstract] OR "Ametropia" [Title/Abstract] OR "Ametropias" [Title/Abstract])) AND ("Eyeglasses" [MeSH Terms] OR ("Spectacles" [Title/Abstract] OR "Glasses"[Title/Abstract]) AND ("Adolescent" [MeSH Terms] OR ("Adolescents" [Title/Abstract] OR "Adolescence"[Title/Abstract]) OR "Child"[MeSH Terms] OR "Children"[Title/Abstract])). We only selected studies that were randomized controlled trials. Two researchers independently searched the databases, and 64 articles were retrieved after the initial screening. Two reviewers independently assessed the quality of the collected data. Results: Fourteen articles were eligible for inclusion, and 11 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The overall compliance with spectacle use was 53.11%. There was a statistically significant effect of free spectacles on compliance among children (OR = 2.45; 95% CI = 1.39-4.30). In the subgroup analysis, longer follow-up time was associated with significantly lower reported ORs (6-12 vs. <6 months, OR = 2.30 vs. 3.18). Most studies concluded that sociomorphic factors, RE severity, and other factors contributed to children not wearing glasses at the end of the follow-up. Conclusion: The combination of providing free spectacles along with educational interventions can lead to high levels of compliance among the study participants. Based on this study's findings, we recommend implementing policies that integrate the provision of free spectacles with educational interventions and other measures. In addition, a combination of additional health promotion strategies may be needed to improve the acceptability of refractive services and to encourage the consistent use of eyewear. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=338507, identifier: CRD42022338507.

Comparison of Picosecond and Nanosecond Nd:YAG 1064-nm Lasers in the Treatment of Melasma: A Split-Face Randomized Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: Melasma is a refractory pigmentary disorder. The picosecond Nd:YAG 1064-nm laser (PSNY) has promise as a better treatment for melasma with few side effects and favorable therapeutic efficacy. The authors evaluated the efficacy and safety of PSNY and the nanosecond Q-switched Nd:YAG 1064-nm laser (QSNY) in patients with melasma. METHODS: Eighteen patients were recruited to receive the two types of laser treatment on split faces. The modified Melasma Area Severity Index was assessed at baseline and the 3-month follow-up visit. The recurrence rate and the patients' self-satisfaction assessment were also evaluated. RESULTS: The two treated sides showed statistically significant decreases in modified Melasma Area Severity Index score after treatment at follow-up compared with baseline ( P < 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference between the modalities ( P = 0.873) or the patients' satisfaction assessment ( P = 0.287). The visual analogue scale pain assessment score showed that the QSNY was more painful than the PSNY counterpart ( P = 0.007). The recurrence rate was the same for the two treated sides (12.5%). CONCLUSION: PSNY is a better choice compared with QSNY with less treatment pain and postprocedure erythema as well as lower potential risk of exacerbation of melasma. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, II.

Light availability and plant shade tolerance modify plant-microbial interactions and feedbacks in subtropical trees.

Plant-soil feedbacks (PSFs) are an important mechanism of species coexistence in forest communities. However, evidence remains limited for how light availability regulates PSFs in species with different shade tolerance via changes in plant-microbial interactions. Here we tested in a glasshouse experiment how PSFs changed as a function of light availability and tree shade tolerance. Soil bacterial and fungal communities were profiled using the 16S rRNA and ITS2 gene sequencing, respectively. Under low light, individual PSFs were positively related to shade tolerance, while the least shade-tolerant species produced the most positive PSFs under high light. Pairwise PSFs between species with contrasting shade tolerance were strongly positive under high light but negative under low light, thereby promoting the dominance of less shade-tolerant species in forest gaps and species coexistence under closed canopy, respectively. Under high light, PSFs were related to soil microbial composition and diversity, with the relative abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi being the primary driver of PSFs. Under low light, none of soil microbial properties were significantly related to PSFs. These findings indicate PSFs and plant shade tolerance interact to promote species coexistence and improve our understanding of how soil microbes contribute to variation in PSFs.