Effectivity and safety of trifocal intraocular lenses and capsular tension rings implantation for cataract patients with axial high myopia.

AIM: To assess effectivity and safety of trifocal intraocular lenses (IOLs) and capsular tension rings in treating cataract patients with axial high myopia. METHODS: A prospective nonrandomized controlled clinical trial was conducted. Totally 98 eyes (74 patients) who underwent femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) with trifocal IOLs were enrolled in the study and followed up for 2y after surgery: 46 eyes (33 patients) with capsular tension ring implantation in the long axial lengths (AL) group (260.05). The dysfunctional lens index and total modulation transfer function (MTF) average height were similar between the two groups. The postoperative internal coma aberrations in the axial high myopia eyes were significantly higher than that in the normal AL group (P<0.05). The total satisfaction score in the long AL group (91.32±2.76) was slightly higher than that in the normal AL group (90.36±3.47), but there was no difference (P=0.136). A statistically negative correlation was found between corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) and dysfunctional lens index (r=-0.382, P=0.009), and between CDVA and the total MTF average height (r=-0.374, P=0.01). But there was no significant correlation between CDVA and total satisfaction score (r=0.059, P=0.696). Postoperative complications mainly presented as posterior capsular opacity (PCO), retinal detachment and cystoid macular edema. There was no difference in the incidence of fundus disease (6.5% vs 3.8%, P=0.663) or PCO (17.4% vs 7.7%, P=0.217) between the two groups at two years. CONCLUSION: The utilization of trifocal IOL and capsular tension ring implantation is beneficial for cataract patients with axial high myopia undergoing FLACS. This approach not only ensures excellent subjective feelings and objective visual quality, but also does not increase the incidence of postoperative complications.

The presence of predators constrains larval development process by influencing critical developmental windows in the endangered Chinhai spiny newt.

Predators significantly impact the development process and subsequently influence the metamorphic decisions of amphibian larvae. Larvae often exhibit induced growth and metamorphic plasticity in response to the presence of predators. However, growth and development rates are not always perfectly correlated, growth responses can vary throughout ontogeny. It is crucial to consider the stage-specific growth responses induced by predators. Here, we employ a critical windows experimental design and examine development-related growth and metamorphic responses to predators in the endangered Chinhai spiny newt (Echinotriton chinhaiensis). Our findings reveal that predators constrain the development process of spiny newt larvae and also impact survival to metamorphosis. Inducible plasticity predominantly exhibits in the early and middle stages of larval development. Our results also suggest that diverse developmental plasticity has been adopted by larvae in response to predators. The presence of predators during early stage induces larvae to exhibit a same size at metamorphosis but a prolonged time to metamorphosis, while predators present during middle stage induce larvae to exhibit a large size at metamorphosis but a same time to metamorphosis. The presence of predators at the late developmental stage does not induce any plasticity in larval growth and metamorphosis. Moreover, these results also suggest that several stages of larval development are likely critical developmental windows for spiny newt larvae. This study not only provides basic biological information on predator-induced developmental plasticity of the endangered Chinhai spiny newt but also likely provides biological insights for the implementation of in situ conservation and preservation efforts for endangered species.

Okra extract alleviates lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation response through the regulation of bile acids, the receptor-mediated pathway, and gut microbiota.

BACKGROUND: Okra contains flavonoids and vitamin C as antioxidants and it contains polysaccharides as immunomodulators. Flavonoids regulate the inflammatory response in mice and may be related to gut microbiota. This study therefore aimed to investigate the impact of okra extract (OE) on inflammation in mice and to elucidate its underlying mechanism. METHOD: Forty male Kunming (KM) mice were categorized into four groups: the control (CON) group, the lipopolysaccharide stimulation (LPS) group, the 5 mg mL-1 OE intervention (LPS + OE) group, and the 5 mg mL-1 OE supplementation plus mixed antibiotics (LPS + OE + ABX) group. RESULTS: The results showed that, compared with the OE group, the expression of inflammatory signaling pathway genes was upregulated and gut barrier genes were inhibited in the OE + ABX group. The Fxr receptor was activated and the abundance of Akkermansia was increased after OE supplementation, whereas the effect was reversed in the OE + ABX group. Meanwhile, Fxr was correlated positively with Akkermansia. CONCLUSION: The OE supplementation alleviated the inflammatory response in mice under LPS stimulation, accompanied by changes in gut microbiota and bile acid receptors, whereas the addition of antibiotics caused a disturbance to the gut microbiota in the OE group, thus reducing the effect of OE in alleviating the inflammatory response. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Accuracy of brain natriuretic peptide and N-terminal brain natriuretic peptide for detecting paediatric pulmonary hypertension: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a life-threatening disease, especially in paediatric population. Symptoms of paediatric PH are non-specific. Accurate detection of paediatric PH is helpful for early treatment and mortality reduction. Therefore, we assessed the overall performance of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) for diagnosing PH in paediatric population. METHODS: PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and Embase databases were screened since their respective inceptions until August 2023. A bivariate random model and a hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic model were used together to evaluate and summarize the overall performance of BNP and NT-proBNP for diagnosing paediatric PH. RESULTS: Eighteen studies using BNP/NT-proBNP were assessed, comprising 1127 samples. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) and area under the curve (AUROC) of BNP/NT-proBNP were separately as 0.81, 0.87, 6.33, 0.21, 29.50 and 0.91, suggesting a good diagnostic performance of BNP/NT-proBNP for detecting PH in paediatric population. For BNP, the pooled sensitivity, specificity, PLR, NLR, DOR and AUROC were 0.83, 0.89, 7.76, 0.19, 40.90 and 0.93, indicating the diagnostic accuracy of BNP for paediatric PH patients was good. For NT-proBNP, the pooled sensitivity, specificity, PLR, NLR, DOR and AUROC were 0.81, 0.86, 5.59, 0.22, 24.96 and 0.90, showing that NT-proBNP could provide a good value for detecting paediatric PH. CONCLUSIONS: Both BNP and NT-proBNP are good markers for differentiating paediatric PH patients from non-PH individuals.

Accurate detection of paediatric PH is helpful for early treatment and mortality reduction. This study shows that both BNP and NT-proBNP are good markers for detecting paediatric PH. In clinical practice, we recommend that BNP and NT-proBNP are auxiliary biomarkers in diagnosing paediatric PH.

4-Octyl Itaconate Attenuates Neuroinflammation in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis Via Regulating Microglia.

Abnormal activation of microglia, the resident macrophages in the central nervous system, plays an important role in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). The immune responsive gene 1(IRG1)/itaconate axis is involved in regulating microglia-mediated neuroinflammation. 4-Octyl itaconate (4-OI), a derivative of itaconate, plays a crucial immunomodulatory role in macrophages. This study investigated the effects and mechanisms of action of 4-OI on experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and inflammatory BV2 microglia. In an EAE mouse model, clinical evaluation was conducted during the disease course. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was performed to assess inflammatory infiltration and Luxol Fast Blue was used to visualize pathological damage. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, western blotting and immunofluorescence were used to evaluate inflammatory response and microglial function status in EAE mice. BV2 microglia were used to further investigate the effects and mechanisms of action of 4-OI in vitro. 4-OI significantly alleviated the clinical symptoms of EAE, the inflammatory infiltration, and demyelination; reduced the levels of inflammatory factors; and inhibited the classical activation of microglia in the spinal cord. 4-OI successfully suppressed the classical activation of BV2 microglia and decreased the levels of inflammatory factors by activating the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway. Furthermore, 4-OI downregulated IRG1 expression in both EAE mice and inflammatory BV2 microglia. 4-OI attenuates the microglia-mediated neuroinflammation and has promising therapeutic effects in MS.

Utility of Combined Use of Imaging Features From Abdominopelvic CT and CA 125 to Identify Presence of CT Occult Peritoneal Metastases in Advanced Gastric Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to identify the presence of occult peritoneal metastasis (OPM) in patients with advanced gastric cancer (AGC) by using clinical characteristics and abdominopelvic computed tomography (CT) features. METHODS: This retrospective study included 66 patients with OPM and 111 patients without peritoneal metastasis (non-PM [NPM]) who underwent preoperative contrast-enhanced CT between January 2020 and December 2021. Occult PMs means PMs that are missed by CT but later diagnosed by laparoscopy or laparotomy. Patients with NPM means patients have neither PM nor other distant metastases, indicating there is no evidence of distant metastases in patients with AGC. Patients' clinical characteristics and CT features such as tumor marker, Borrmann IV, enhancement patterns, and pelvic ascites were observed by 2 experienced radiologists. Computed tomography features and clinical characteristics were combined to construct an indicator for identifying the presence of OPM in patients with AGC based on a logistic regression model. Receiver operating characteristic curves and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) were generated to assess the diagnostic performance of the combined indicator. RESULTS: Four independent predictors (Borrmann IV, pelvic ascites, carbohydrate antigen 125, and normalized arterial CT value) differed significantly between OPM and NPM and performed outstandingly in distinguishing patients with OPM from those without PM (AUC = 0.643-0.696). The combined indicator showed a higher AUC value than the independent risk factors (0.820 vs 0.643-0.696). CONCLUSIONS: The combined indicator based on abdominopelvic CT features and carbohydrate antigen 125 may assist clinicians in identifying the presence of CT OPMs in patients with AGC.

[Heavy Metal Content and Risk Assessment of Sediments and Soils in the Juma River Basin].

The sediment and soil in the Juma River channel pose a risk of pollution to the downstream ecological environment of Beijing and Xiong'an New Area. To address this issue, sediments and soil samples were collected along the river from the source to the Zhangfang outlet. The samples were further divided into three types:main stream sediment (29 samples), riverbank soil (27 samples), and farmland soil (26 samples). Enrichment factor analysis and the potential ecological risk index were employed to investigate the ecological risk. The results showed that the average concentrations of Cd, Hg, Pb, Zn, and Cu in the river sediment and soil in the study area were higher than those in the Baiyangdian Lake sediment and the surface soil of Hebei Province, whereas the concentrations of As, Cr, and Ni were relatively lower. The ranking of heavy metal pollution levels from high to low were Cd > Hg > Pb > Zn > Cu > Cr > Ni > As. The comprehensive ecological risk index showed that farmland soil and riverbank soil were mainly at a slight risk, followed by a moderate risk. The potential ecological risk of the main stream sediment was mainly moderate, severe, and extremely severe, accounting for 35.5%, 24.1%, and 24.1%, respectively, and the main contributing factors of the risk were Cd and Hg. The results of multivariate statistical analysis indicated that the main pollution sources of Cd, Pb, Zn, and Cu were industrial and mining activities. Cr, Ni, and As were mainly controlled by the weathering of the parent rock, and As was also influenced by agricultural activities. Hg was controlled by composite pollution sources such as industrial and mining activities, parent rock weathering, and atmospheric dust fall. Overall, the risk of heavy metal in the soil of the research area was generally at a slight level. However, there was a significant enrichment of Cd and other heavy metal in the sediment of the Taiyu-Sigezhuang-Pengtou River. This river section should be the focus of environmental monitoring, river dredging, and governance.

Fetal phenotype of CHARGE syndrome with a molecular confirmation: a series of 13 cases.

Introduction CHARGE syndrome is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder with known pattern of features. The aim of the study was to present the fetal features of CHARGE syndrome to gain awareness that the antenatal characteristics can be very nonspecific. Case Presentation This was a retrospective study of 13 cases with CHARGE syndrome diagnosed by prenatal or postnatal genetic testing and physical examination. Two (15.4%; 2/13) had normal ultrasound scans during pregnancy. One (7.7%; 1/13) with first-trimester cystic hygroma presented intrauterine fetal demise (IUFD) at 16 weeks gestation. The remaining 10 (76.9%; 10/13) cases had abnormal ultrasound features in utero; among these, 1 had an increased nuchal translucency in the first trimester, 5 had second-trimester abnormal ultrasounds including micrognathia, cardiac defects and facial defects, and 4 third-trimester abnormal ultrasounds including micrognathia, isolated fetal growth restriction and polyhydramnios. Among the 11 cases with abnormal prenatal ultrasound scans, no fetus could reach the diagnostic criteria of CHARGE syndrome if only based on the results of ultrasound. However, the diagnosis was made in all cases when CHD7 defects were detected. Discussion/Conclusion The CHARGE syndrome presents non-specific abnormal ultrasound markers in utero. Exome sequencing in the genetic work up will aid in prenatal diagnosis of this syndrome.

Dual-energy CT quantitative parameters to evaluate occult peritoneal metastasis in advanced gastric cancer preoperatively.

PURPOSE: To explore whether dual-energy CT (DECT) quantitative parameters could provide analytic value for the diagnosis of patients with occult peritoneal metastasis (OPM) in advanced gastric cancer preoperatively. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study included 219 patients with advanced gastric cancer and DECT scans. The patient's clinical data and DECT related iodine concentration (IC) parameters and effective atomic number (Zeff) were collated and analyzed among noun-peritoneal metastasis (NPM), OPM and radiologically peritoneal metastasis (RPM) groups. The predictive performance of the DECT parameters was compared with that of the conventional CT features and clinical characteristics through evaluating area under curve of the precision-recall (AUC-PR), F1 score, balanced accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV). RESULTS: Borrmann IV type diagnosed on CT and serum tumor indicator CA125 index were statistically different between the NPM and OPM groups. DECT parameters included IC, normalized IC (NIC), and Zeff of PM group were lower than the NPM group. The DECT predictive nomogram combined three independent DECT parameters produced a better diagnostic performance than the conventional CT feature Borrmann IV type and serum CA125 index in AUC-PR with 0.884 vs 0.368 vs 0.189, but similar to the combined indicator which was based on the DECT parameters, the conventional CT feature, and serum CA125 index in AUC-PR with 0.884 vs 0.918. CONCLUSION: The lower quantitative NIC, IC ratio, and Zeff on DECT was associated with peritoneal metastasis in advanced gastric cancer and was promising to identify patients with OPM noninvasively.

Short-term responses of soil enzyme activities and stoichiometry to litter input in Castanopsis carlesii and Cunninghamia lanceolata plantations.

Litter input triggers the secretion of soil extracellular enzymes and facilitates the release of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) from decomposing litter. However, how soil extracellular enzyme activities were controlled by litter input with various substrates is not fully understood. We examined the activities and stoichiometry of five enzymes including ß-1,4-glucosidase, ß-D-cellobiosidase, ß-1,4-N-acetyl-glucosaminidase, leucine aminopeptidase and acidic phosphatase (AP) with and without litter input in 10-year-old Castanopsis carlesii and Cunninghamia lanceolata plantations monthly during April to August, in October, and in December 2021 by using an in situ microcosm experiment. The results showed that: 1) There was no significant effect of short-term litter input on soil enzyme activity, stoichiometry, and vector properties in C. carlesii plantation. In contrast, short-term litter input significantly increased the AP activity by 1.7% in May and decreased the enzymatic C/N ratio by 3.8% in August, and decreased enzymatic C/P and N/P ratios by 11.7% and 10.3%, respectively, in October in C. lanceolata plantation. Meanwhile, litter input increased the soil enzymatic vector angle to 53.8° in October in C. lanceolata plantations, suggesting a significant P limitation for soil microorganisms. 2) Results from partial least squares regression analyses showed that soil dissolved organic matter and microbial biomass C and N were the primary factors in explaining the responses of soil enzymatic activity to short-term litter input in both plantations. Overall, input of low-quality (high C/N) litter stimulates the secretion of soil extracellular enzymes and accelerates litter decomposition. There is a P limitation for soil microorganisms in the study area.

Deep learning-accelerated T2WI: image quality, efficiency, and staging performance against BLADE T2WI for gastric cancer.

PURPOSE: The purpose of our study is to investigate image quality, efficiency, and diagnostic performance of a deep learning-accelerated single-shot breath-hold (DLSB) against BLADE for T2-weighted MR imaging (T2WI) for gastric cancer (GC). METHODS: 112 patients with GCs undergoing gastric MRI were prospectively enrolled between Aug 2022 and Dec 2022. Axial DLSB-T2WI and BLADE-T2WI of stomach were scanned with same spatial resolution. Three radiologists independently evaluated the image qualities using a 5-scale Likert scales (IQS) in terms of lesion delineation, gastric wall boundary conspicuity, and overall image quality. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were calculated in measurable lesions. T staging was conducted based on the results of both sequences for GC patients with gastrectomy. Pairwise comparisons between DLSB-T2WI and BLADE-T2WI were performed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, paired t-test, and chi-squared test. Kendall's W, Fleiss' Kappa, and intraclass correlation coefficient values were used to determine inter-reader reliability. RESULTS: Against BLADE, DLSB reduced total acquisition time of T2WI from 495 min (mean 4:42 per patient) to 33.6 min (18 s per patient), with better overall image quality that produced 9.43-fold, 8.00-fold, and 18.31-fold IQS upgrading against BALDE, respectively, in three readers. In 69 measurable lesions, DLSB-T2WI had higher mean SNR and higher CNR than BLADE-T2WI. Among 71 patients with gastrectomy, DLSB-T2WI resulted in comparable accuracy to BLADE-T2WI in staging GCs (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: DLSB-T2WI demonstrated shorter acquisition time, better image quality, and comparable staging accuracy, which could be an alternative to BLADE-T2WI for gastric cancer imaging.

New nanosensor fabricated on single nanopore electrode filled with prussian blue and graphene quantum dots coated by polypyrrole for hydrogen peroxide sensing.

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a common oxidant that plays an important role in many biological processes and is also an important medium analysis in various fields. In this work, a new electrochemical nanosensor capable of detecting and quantifying hydrogen peroxide was introduced. This nanosensor was fabricated by electrodepositing prussian blue (PB)/graphene quantum dots (GQDs)/polypyrrole (PPy) on single nanopore electrode etched from single gold nanoelectrode. This prepapred nanosensor exhibits good electrochemical response to hydrogen peroxide with high sensitivity and stability, with a linear response in the 2.0 and 80 µM by using amperometric method and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) method. The limit of detections are 0.33 µM (S/N = 3) for amperometric method and 0.67 µM (S/N = 3) for differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) method, respectively. This nanosensor can be used for the determination of hydrogen peroxide in human urine, and can serve as a new electrochemical platform to monitor H2O2 release from single living cells due to its small overal dimension and high sensitivity.

Differential contributions of G protein- or arrestin subtype-mediated signalling underlie urocortin 3-induced somatostatin secretion in pancreatic δ cells.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Pancreatic islets are modulated by cross-talk among different cell types and paracrine signalling plays important roles in maintaining glucose homeostasis. Urocortin 3 (UCN3) secreted by pancreatic ß cells activates the CRF2 receptor (CRF2R) and downstream pathways mediated by different G protein or arrestin subtypes in δ cells to cause somatostatin (SST) secretion, and constitutes an important feedback circuit for glucose homeostasis. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Here, we used Arrb1-/-, Arrb2-/-, Gsfl/fl and Gqfl/fl knockout mice, the G11-shRNA-GFPfl/fl lentivirus, as well as functional assays and pharmacological characterization to study how the coupling of Gs, G11 and ß-arrestin1 to CRF2R contributed to UCN3-induced SST secretion in pancreatic δ cells. KEY RESULTS: Our study showed that CRF2R coupled to a panel of G protein and arrestin subtypes in response to UCN3 engagement. While RyR3 phosphorylation by PKA at the S156, S2706 and S4697 sites may underlie the Gs-mediated UCN3- CRF2R axis for SST secretion, the interaction of SYT1 with ß-arrestin1 is also essential for efficient SST secretion downstream of CRF2R. The specific expression of the transcription factor Stat6 may contribute to G11 expression in pancreatic δ cells. Furthermore, we found that different UCN3 concentrations may have distinct effects on glucose homeostasis, and these effects may depend on different CRF2R downstream effectors. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Collectively, our results provide a landscape view of signalling mediated by different G protein or arrestin subtypes downstream of paracrine UCN3- CRF2R signalling in pancreatic ß-δ-cell circuits, which may facilitate the understanding of fine-tuned glucose homeostasis networks.

Development of a nomogram for predicting in-hospital mortality in patients with liver cirrhosis and sepsis.

In this study, we aimed to investigate the risk factors associated with in-hospital mortality in patients with cirrhosis and sepsis, establish and validate the nomogram. This retrospective study included patients diagnosed with liver cirrhosis and sepsis in the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC-IV). Models were compared by the area under the curve (AUC), integrated discriminant improvement (IDI), net reclassification index (NRI) and decision curve analysis (DCA). A total of 1,696 patients with cirrhosis and sepsis were included in the final cohort. Our final model included the following 9 variables: age, heartrate, total bilirubin (TBIL), glucose, sodium, anion gap (AG), fungal infections, mechanical ventilation, and vasopressin. The nomogram were constructed based on these variables. The AUC values of the nomograms were 0.805 (95% CI 0.776-0.833), which provided significantly higher discrimination compared to that of SOFA score [0.684 (95% CI 0.647-0.720)], MELD-Na [0.672 (95% CI 0.636-0.709)] and ABIC [0.674(95% CI 0.638-0.710)]. We established the first nomogram for predicting in-hospital mortality in patients with liver cirrhosis and sepsis based on these factors. This nomogram can performs well and facilitates clinicians to identify people at high risk of in-hospital mortality.

Solid-State Glass Nanopipettes: Functionalization and Applications.

Solid-state glass nanopipettes provide a promising confined space that offers several advantages such as controllable size, simple preparation, low cost, good mechanical stability, and good thermal stability. These advantages make them an ideal choice for various applications such as biosensors, DNA sequencing, and drug delivery. In this review, we first delve into the functionalized nanopipettes for sensing various analytes and the methods used to develop detection means with them. Next, we provide an in-depth overview of the advanced functionalization methodologies of nanopipettes based on diversified chemical kinetics. After that, we present the latest state-of-the-art achievements and potential applications in detecting a wide range of targets, including ions, molecules, biological macromolecules, and single cells. We examine the various challenges that arise when working with these targets, as well as the innovative solutions developed to overcome them. The final section offers an in-depth overview of the current development status, newest trends, and application prospects of sensors. Overall, this review provides a comprehensive and detailed analysis of the current state-of-the-art functionalized nanopipette perception sensing and development of detection means and offers valuable insights into the prospects for this exciting field.

G-CSF + plerixafor versus G-CSF alone mobilized hematopoietic stem cells in patients with multiple myeloma and lymphoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIM: The combination of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) and plerixafor is one of the approaches for hematopoietic stem cell mobilization in patients with multiple myeloma (MM), non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), and Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL). This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the ability of G-CSF + plerixafor to mobilize peripheral blood (PB) CD34+ cells and examine its safety profile. METHODS: We performed a database search using the terms 'granulocyte colony stimulating factor', 'G-CSF', 'AMD3100', and 'plerixafor', published up to May 1, 2023. The methodology is described in further detail in the PROSPERO database (CRD42023425760). RESULTS: Twenty-three studies were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. G-CSF + plerixafor resulted in more patients achieving the predetermined apheresis yield of CD34+ cells than G-CSF alone (OR, 5.33; 95%, 4.34-6.55). It was further discovered that G-CSF + plerixafor could mobilize more CD34+ cells into PB, which was beneficial for the next transplantation in both randomized controlled (MD, 18.30; 95%, 8.74-27.85) and single-arm (MD, 20.67; 95%, 14.34-27.00) trials. Furthermore, G-CSF + plerixafor did not cause more treatment emergent adverse events than G-CSF alone (OR, 1.25; 95%, 0.87-1.80). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that the combination of G-CSF and plerixafor, resulted in more patients with MM, NHL, and HL, achieving the predetermined apheresis yield of CD34+ cells, which is related to the more effective mobilization of CD34+ cells into PB.

Europium(III) Functionalized Covalent Organic Framework as Sensitive and Selective Fluorescent Switch for Detection of Uranium.

Uranium poses severe health risks due to its radioactivity and chemical toxicity if released into the environment. Therefore, there is an urgent demand to develop sensing materials in situ monitoring of uranium with high sensitivity and stability. In this work, a fluorescent Eu3+-TFPB-Bpy is synthesized by grafting Eu3+ cation onto TFPB-Bpy covalent organic framework (COF) synthesized through Schiff base condensation of monomers 1,3,5-tris(4-formylphenyl)benzene (TFPB) and 5,5'-diamino-2,2'-bipyridine (Bpy). The fluorescence of Eu3+-TFPB-Bpy is enhanced compared with that of TFPB-Bpy, which is originated from the intramolecular rotations of building blocks limited by the bipyridine units of TFPB-Bpy coordinated with Eu3+. More significantly, Eu3+-TFPB-Bpy is a highly efficient probe for sensing UO22+ in aqueous solution with the luminescence intensity efficiently amplified by complexation of UO22+ with Eu3+. The turn-on sensing capability was derived from the resonance energy transfer occurring from UO22+ to the Eu3+-TFPB-Bpy. The developed probe displayed desirable linear range from 5 nM to 5 µM with good selectivity and rapid response time (2 s) for UO22+ in mining wastewater. This strategy provides a vivid illustration for designing luminescence lanthanide COF hybrid materials with applications in environmental monitoring.

Genetic Basis and Evolutionary Forces of Sexually Dimorphic Color Variation in a Toad-Headed Agamid Lizard.

In the animal kingdom, sexually dimorphic color variation is a widespread phenomenon that significantly influences survival and reproductive success. However, the genetic underpinnings of this variation remain inadequately understood. Our investigation into sexually dimorphic color variation in the desert-dwelling Guinan population of the toad-headed agamid lizard (Phrynocephalus putjatai) utilized a multidisciplinary approach, encompassing phenotypic, ultrastructural, biochemical, genomic analyses, and behavioral experiments. Our findings unveil the association between distinct skin colorations and varying levels of carotenoid and pteridine pigments. The red coloration in males is determined by a genomic region on chromosome 14, housing four pigmentation genes: BCO2 and three 6-pyruvoyltetrahydropterin synthases. A Guinan population-specific nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphism in BCO2 is predicted to alter the electrostatic potential within the binding domain of the BCO2-ß-carotene complex, influencing their interaction. Additionally, the gene MAP7 on chromosome 2 emerges as a potential contributor to the blue coloration in subadults and adult females. Sex-specific expression patterns point to steroid hormone-associated genes (SULT2B1 and SRD5A2) as potential upstream regulators influencing sexually dimorphic coloration. Visual modeling and field experiments support the potential selective advantages of vibrant coloration in desert environments. This implies that natural selection, potentially coupled with assortative mating, might have played a role in fixing color alleles, contributing to prevalence in the local desert habitat. This study provides novel insights into the genetic basis of carotenoid and pteridine-based color variation, shedding light on the evolution of sexually dimorphic coloration in animals. Moreover, it advances our understanding of the driving forces behind such intricate coloration patterns.

Using choroidal thickness to detect myopic macular degeneration.

AIM: To explore the usage of choroidal thickness measured by swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) to detect myopic macular degeneration (MMD) in high myopic participants. METHODS: Participants with bilateral high myopia (≤-6 diopters) were recruited from a subset of the Guangzhou Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center-Brien Holden Vision Institute High Myopia Cohort Study. SS-OCT was performed to determine the choroidal thickness, and myopic maculopathy was graded by the International Meta-Analysis for Pathologic Myopia (META-PM) Classification. Presence of MMD was defined as META-PM category 2 or above. RESULTS: A total of 568 right eyes were included for analysis. Eyes with MMD (n=106, 18.7%) were found to have older age, longer axial lengths (AL), higher myopic spherical equivalents (SE), and reduced choroidal thickness in each Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) grid sector (P<0.001). The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves (AUC) for subfoveal choroidal thickness (0.907) was greater than that of the model, including age, AL, and SE at 0.6249, 0.8208, and 0.8205, respectively. The choroidal thickness of the inner and outer nasal sectors was the most accurate indicator of MMD (AUC of 0.928 and 0.923, respectively). An outer nasal sector choroidal thickness of less than 74 µm demonstrated the highest odds of predicting MMD (OR=33.8). CONCLUSION: Choroidal thickness detects the presence of MMD with high agreement, particularly of the inner and outer nasal sectors of the posterior pole, which appears to be a biometric parameter more precise than age, AL, or SE.

Association between patient adherence and treat-to-target in gout: A cross-sectional study.

The implementation of a treat-to-target (T2T) approach has been widely recommended for achieving optimal outcomes in gout treatment, as substantiated by a wealth of compelling evidence. However, a paucity of knowledge exists regarding the barriers hindering effective T2T management in China. This study seeks to investigate the factors contributing to treatment failure within the context of the T2T strategy. A cross-sectional, multi-center investigation was conducted, involving the completion of electronic questionnaires by outpatients undergoing urate-lowering treatment for a duration exceeding 6 months. These questionnaires encompassed demographic information, disease-related conditions, comorbid conditions, and management. The study analyzed factors associated with serum uric acid levels exceeding 360 µmol/L, poor disease control, and poor medication adherence. A total of 425 valid questionnaires were collected, representing 90.8% of the patients. The T2T implementation rate was 26.82% (n = 114). Factors linked to serum uric acid levels surpassing 360 µmol/L included moderate medication adherence (odds ratio (OR) = 2.35; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.17-4.77; P = .016), poor medication adherence (OR = 4.63; 95% CI 2.28-9.51; P < .001), and management by general practitioners (OR = 0.60; 95% CI 0.37-0.97; P = .036). The rate of well-controlled patients was 14.35% (n = 61). Predictors of not well controlled encompassed the presence of tophi (OR = 2.48; 95% CI 1.17-5.61; P = .023), general medication adherence (OR = 2.78; 95% CI 1.28-6.05; P = .009), poor medication adherence (OR = 6.23; 95% CI 2.68-14.77; P < .001), and poor patient's perception of gout (OR = 4.07; 95% CI 1.41-13.91; P = .015). A poor medication adherence rate of 55.29% (n = 235) was observed, with lower rates of poor medication adherence associated with the use of febuxostat (OR = 0.35; 95% CI 0.14-0.83; P = .02), uric acid levels exceeding 360 µmol/L (OR = 3.05; 95% CI 1.84-5.12; P = .00), moderate patient education (OR = 2.28; 95% CI 1.29-4.15; P = .01), moderate diet control (OR = 1.98; 95% CI 1.17-3.41; P = .01), and poor diet control (OR = 3.73; 95% CI 1.26-12.83; P = .02). The rate of T2T implementation in China is notably low among patients undergoing urate-lowering treatment of gout beyond 6 months. Importantly, medication adherence demonstrates a significant association with T2T outcomes.