Differential Impact of 0.01% and 0.05% Atropine Eyedrops on Ocular Surface in Young Adults.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of low-concentration (0.01% and 0.05%) atropine eyedrops on ocular surface characteristics in young adults. Methods: Twenty-six myopic students aged 18 to 30 years were randomly assigned to receive either 0.01% or 0.05% atropine once nightly for 14 days, followed by cessation, with a ≥14-day interval between each administration. Assessments were conducted one, two, seven, and 14 days after using atropine with corresponding timepoints after atropine cessation. Tear meniscus height and first and average noninvasive keratograph tear film breakup time (NIKBUT-first, NIKBUT-average) were measured using Keratograph 5M, whereas the objective scatter index (OSI) was measured by OQAS II devices; the ocular surface disease index (OSDI) score was also obtained. Results: The mean OSI peaked after two days of administration of 0.05% atropine (ß = 0.51, P = 0.001), accompanied by significant decreases in NIKBUT-first (ß = -7.73, P < 0.001) and NIKBUT-average (ß = -8.10, P < 0.001); the OSDI peaked after 14 days (ß = 15.41, P < 0.001). The above parameters returned to baseline one week after atropine discontinuation (all P > 0.05). NIKBUT-first and NIKBUT-average reached their lowest points after 14 days of 0.01% atropine administration (NIKBUT-first: ß = -4.46, P = 0.005; NIKBUT-average: ß = -4.42, P = 0.001), but those significant changes were diminished once atropine treatment stopped. Conclusions: Young adult myopes experienced a significant but temporary impact on the ocular surface with 0.05% atropine administration, whereas 0.01% atropine had a minimal effect. Translational Relevance: The investigation of the ocular surface effects of different concentrations of atropine may inform evidence-based clinical decisions regarding myopia control in young adults.

Functional Redundant Microbiome Enhanced Anaerobic Digestion Efficiency under Ammonium Inhibition Conditions.

Revealing the role of functional redundancy is of great importance considering its key role in maintaining the stability of microbial ecosystems in response to various disturbances. However, experimental evidence on this point is still lacking due to the difficulty in "manipulating" and depicting the degree of redundancy. In this study, manipulative experiments of functional redundancy were conducted by adopting the mixed inoculation strategy to evaluate its role in engineered anaerobic digestion systems under ammonium inhibition conditions. The results indicated that the functional redundancy gradient was successfully constructed and confirmed by evidence from pathway levels. All mixed inoculation groups exhibited higher methane production regardless of the ammonium level, indicating that functional redundancy is crucial in maintaining the system's efficiency. Further analysis of the metagenome-assembled genomes within different functional guilds revealed that the extent of redundancy decreased along the direction of the anaerobic digestion flow, and the role of functional redundancy appeared to be related to the stress level. The study also found that microbial diversity of key functional populations might play a more important role than their abundance on the system's performance under stress. The findings provide direct evidence and highlight the critical role of functional redundancy in enhancing the efficiency and stability of anaerobic digestion.

A water transfer printing method for contact lenses surface 2D MXene modification to resist bacterial infection and inflammation.

Contact lenses (CLs) are prone to adhesion and invasion by pollutants and pathogenic bacteria, leading to infection and inflammatory diseases. However, the functionalization of CL (biological functions such as anti-fouling, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory) and maintaining its transparency still face great challenges. In this work, as a member of the MXenes family, vanadium carbide (V2C) is modified onto CL via a water transfer printing method after the formation of a tightly arranged uniform film at the water surface under the action of the Marangoni effect. The coating interface is stable owing to the electrostatic forces. The V2C-modified CL (V2C@CL) maintains optical clarity while providing good biocompatibility, strong antioxidant properties, and anti-inflammatory activities. In vitro antibacterial experiments indicate that V2C@CL shows excellent performance in bacterial anti-adhesion, sterilization, and anti-biofilm formation. Last, V2C@CL displays notable advantages of bacteria elimination and inflammation removal in infectious keratitis treatment.

Changes in Corneal Epithelial Thickness in Different Areas After Femtosecond Laser-Assisted LASIK in Patients With High Astigmatism.

PURPOSE: To explore changes in corneal epithelial thickness (CET) after femtosecond laser-assisted laser in situ keratomileusis in patients with high astigmatism. METHODS: CET was measured at every intersection of the concentric circles and specific axes using AngioVue optical coherence tomography (Angio-OCT) preoperatively and 1 month postoperatively. The average thickness of corneal central, paracentral, and peripheral regions was the mean of the points within the central 2, 2 to 5, and 5 to 7 mm areas, respectively. Correlation analysis was performed to investigate the association between CET along different axes and other preoperative and postoperative parameters. RESULTS: Forty-two eyes of 28 patients were included. CET along the astigmatic (K1) and perpendicular (K2) axes in the central and paracentral areas increased (P < .001), whereas that along the K2 axis decreased in the peripheral area 1 month postoperatively (P = .001). The amount of CET change in the peripheral area between the K1 and K2 axes was significantly different (P < .001). In the central area, the change in CET along the K2 axis was positively correlated with ablation depth (r = 0.315, P = .042) and negatively with refractive power after surgery (r = -0.347, P = .024). In the peripheral area, the changes in CET along both K1 and K2 axes were negatively correlated with ablation depth (r = -0.431, P = .004; r = -0.387, P = .011, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Epithelial modeling differed between the different astigmatism axes after refractive surgery. The compensatory response of the corneal epithelium is more pronounced along the steeper axis. [J Refract Surg. 2024;40(4):e239-e244.].

A Novel High-Throughput Detection Method for Plastic Debris in Organic-Rich Matrices Based on Image Fusion.

Plastic pollution pervades natural environments and wildlife. Consequently, high-throughput detection methods for plastic debris are urgently needed. A novel method was developed to detect plastic debris larger than 0.5 mm, which integrated an extraction method with low organic loss and plastic damage alongside a classification method for fused images. This extraction method broadened the size range of the remaining plastic debris, while the fusion solved the low spatial resolution of hyperspectral images and the absence of spectral information in red-green-blue (RGB) images. This method was validated for plastic debris in digestate, compost, and sludge, with extraction demonstrating 100% recovery rates for all samples. After fusion, the spatial resolution of hyperspectral images was improved about five times. Classification recall for the fused hyperspectral images achieved 97 ± 8%, surpassing 83 ± 29% of the raw images. Application of this method to solid digestate detected 1030 ± 212 items/kg of plastic debris, comparable with the conventional Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic result of 1100 ± 436 items/kg. This developed method can investigate plastic debris in complex matrices, simultaneously addressing a wide range of sizes and types. This capability helps acquire reliable data to predict secondary microplastic generation and conduct a risk assessment.

Degradation of Photopic and Mesopic Contrast Sensitivity Function in High Myopes With Partial Posterior Vitreous Detachment.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) on visual quality in patients with high myopia, as well as investigate the associated factors of photopic and mesopic contrast sensitivity function (CSF) in high myopia. Methods: Visual quality was comprehensively assessed in patients with high myopia. Visual acuity, contrast sensitivity (CS) at four spatial frequencies (3, 6, 12, and 18 cycles per degree [c.p.d.]) under photopic and mesopic conditions, as well as the modulation transfer function cutoff value (MTFcutoff), the objective scatter index (OSI), the Strehl ratio (SR), and internal aberrations, were measured in this cross-sectional study. Results: This study included 94 eyes from 47 subjects with bilateral high myopia, including 23 eyes with complete PVD (cPVD), 21 eyes with partial PVD (pPVD), and 50 eyes without PVD (nPVD). There was no significant difference in visual quality between the cPVD group and the nPVD group. Whereas in eyes with pPVD, there was a degradation of overall photopic CSF (versus nPVD, P = 0.048), photopic CS at 3 c.p.d. (versus cPVD, P = 0.009 and versus nPVD, P = 0.032), photopic CS at 18 c.p.d. (versus nPVD, P = 0.033), overall mesopic CSF (versus nPVD, P = 0.033), and secondary astigmatism (versus cPVD, P = 0.044). Under photopic conditions, the factors affecting CSF were pPVD and SR, whereas the factors affecting mesopic CSF were pPVD, OSI, and ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer thickness. Conclusions: The pPVD impaired visual quality in patients with high myopia compared to nPVD or cPVD, and pPVD could be a factor explaining CSF at both photopic and mesopic illumination. Translational Relevance: Clinicians need to closely monitor patients with high myopia with pPVD due to the potential decline in visual quality and the development of vitreoretinal disorders.

Appropriate addition power for aphakic infants determined by a smart wearable device Clouclip.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: It is particularly important to perform reasonable and effective optical correction to enable visual development after primary lens removal surgery for congenital cataracts. Aphakic infants need a suitable addition power of prescription (ADD) to help them focus on close visual objects. BACKGROUND: It is challenging to obtain appropriate ADD power for infants due to poor cooperation and lack of subjective feedback. We aimed to determine the appropriate ADD for aphakic infants using a recently developed smart wearable device called Clouclip. METHODS: The study was a cross-sectional, observational pilot study. Twenty-three aphakic infants (aged from 6 months to 3.5 years) were invited to wear a smart wearable device for 7 days consecutively to monitor the near viewing distance in real life. Viewing habits and its associations with the possible influencing factors were investigated based on the data obtained from the device. RESULTS: The average proportion of near viewing time was 77.9% (95% confidence interval (CI) 72.1-83.7%). The average of the median near viewing distance was 23.8 cm (95% CI 20.6 cm-27.0 cm), which corresponded to an ADD of +4.25 D (95% CI + 3.75 D - +4.75 D) spectacle prescription. The height of the child was found to be positively correlated with the median of near viewing distance (r = 0.646, p = 0.001). Age, current ADD, age of cataract extraction surgery and bilaterality or monocularity of the aphakic eyes showed no significant correlation with the aforementioned viewing habits (all p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: By using the novel wearable device, we found the suitable ADD of spectacle prescription for aphakic infants is about +4.25 D. The height of the child was an influencing factor for ADD.

Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound delays the progression of osteoarthritis by regulating the YAP-RIPK1-NF-κB axis and influencing autophagy.

BACKGROUND: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease characterized by chronic inflammation of the joint. As the disease progresses, patients will gradually develop symptoms such as pain, physical limitations and even disability. The risk factors for OA include genetics, gender, trauma, obesity, and age. Unfortunately, due to limited understanding of its pathological mechanism, there are currently no effective drugs or treatments to suspend the progression of osteoarthritis. In recent years, some studies found that low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) may have a positive effect on osteoarthritis. Nonetheless, the exact mechanism by which LIPUS affects osteoarthritis remains unknown. It is valuable to explore the specific mechanism of LIPUS in the treatment of OA. METHODS: In this study, we validated the potential therapeutic effect of LIPUS on osteoarthritis by regulating the YAP-RIPK1-NF-κB axis at both cellular and animal levels. To verify the effect of YAP on OA, the expression of YAP was knocked down or overexpressed by siRNA and plasmid in chondrocytes and adeno-associated virus was injected into the knee joint of rats. The effect of LIPUS was investigated in inflammation chondrocytes induced by IL-1ß and in the post-traumatic OA model. RESULTS: In this study, we observed that YAP plays an important role in the development of osteoarthritis and knocking down of YAP significantly inhibited the inflammation and alleviated cartilage degeneration. We also demonstrated that the expression of YAP was increased in osteoarthritis chondrocytes and YAP could interact with RIPK1, thereby regulating the NF-κB signal pathway and influencing inflammation. Moreover, we also discovered that LIPUS decreased the expression of YAP by restoring the impaired autophagy capacity and inhibiting the binding between YAP and RIPK1, thereby delaying the progression of osteoarthritis. Animal experiment showed that LIPUS could inhibit cartilage degeneration and alleviate the progression of OA. CONCLUSIONS: These results showed that LIPUS is effective in inhibiting inflammation and cartilage degeneration and alleviate the progression of OA. As a result, our results provide new insight of mechanism by which LIPUS delays the development of osteoarthritis, offering a novel therapeutic regimen for osteoarthritis.

Adsorption Characteristics of Ball Milling-Modified Chinese Medicine Residue Biochar Toward Quercetin.

Using traditional Chinese medicine residues as raw materials, different biochars (BC) were prepared through oxygen-limited pyrolysis at 300 °C, 500 °C, and 700 °C, and BC was ball-milled to produce ball-milled biochar (BMC). Using these adsorbents to adsorb the allelopathic autotoxic substance quercetin. The physical and chemical properties of various biochars derived from traditional Chinese medicine residues were characterized using the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller-N2 surface areas (BET), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform IR spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman spectroscopy (Raman). The study investigated the effects of the initial pH value, different humic acid concentrations, and multiple adsorption-desorption experiments on the removal of quercetin from the solution. The article discusses the adsorption mechanism of quercetin in solution by biochar from a traditional Chinese medicine residue, based on the results of adsorption kinetics and adsorption isotherm fitting. The findings indicate that increasing the pyrolysis temperature reduces the oxygen-containing functional groups of BC, enhances the aromaticity, and stabilizes the carbon structure. The pore structure of BMC becomes more complex after ball milling, which increases the number of oxygen-containing functional groups on the surface. Among the samples tested, BMC700 exhibits the best adsorption performance, with an adsorption capacity of 293.3 mg·g-1 at 318 K. The adsorption process of quercetin by BMC700 follows the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the Freundlich adsorption isotherm model. The process is primarily a form of multimolecular layer adsorption. Its mechanism involves the pore-filling effect, hydrogen-bonding interaction, electrostatic interaction, and π-π coexistence, as well as the yoke effect. Additionally, they are highly recyclable and show promise in addressing continuous cropping issues.

Spatial mapping of corneal biomechanical properties using wave-based optical coherence elastography.

Quantifying the mechanical properties of the cornea can provide valuable insights into the occurrence and progression of keratoconus, as well as the effectiveness of corneal crosslinking surgery. This study presents a non-contact and non-invasive wave-based optical coherence elastography system that utilizes air-pulse stimulation to create a two-dimensional map of corneal elasticity. Homogeneous and dual concentration phantoms were measured with the sampling of 25 × 25 points over a 6.6 × 6.6 mm2 area, to verify the measurement capability for elastic mapping and the spatial resolution (0.91 mm). The velocity of elastic waves distribution of porcine corneas before and after corneal crosslinking surgery were further mapped, showing a significant change in biomechanics in crosslinked region. This system features non-invasiveness and high resolution, holding great potential for application in ophthalmic clinics.

Prognostic nomogram for predicting the overall survival rate of patients with uterine clear-cell carcinoma: Based on SEER database.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the risk factors for uterine clear-cell carcinoma (UCCC) and construct nomograms predicting 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates of patients with UCCC. METHODS: The demographic and clinical information of 1674 patients diagnosed with UCCC between 2004 and 2015, including age, race, marital status, tumor size, American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage, and details of surgery and radiotherapy/chemotherapy, was collected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. After excluding patients with unknown AJCC stage, race, marital status, or lymph node information, 1469 patients remained. Risk factors were determined using univariate and multivariate analyses, and nomograms were developed to predict 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival of UCCC. Various indicators were used to evaluate the performance of the nomogram, such as the C-index, net classification improvement (NRI) and decision curve analysis (DCA). RESULTS: Age, log odds of positive lymph nodes, AJCC stage, surgery status, and chemotherapy status were independent risk factors for UCCC. The C-indexes of the training group and AJCC stage groups were 0.771 and 0.697, respectively. The results for the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve, NRI, and calibration curves indicated that the nomogram had good predictive ability. DCA revealed that the nomogram had greater clinical applicability than AJCC stage alone. Internal validation using the validation cohort also demonstrated that this nomogram had good predictive performance. CONCLUSION: A new nomogram comprising a combination of demographic and clinical characteristics provided better survival predictions than the AJCC staging system alone, which will facilitate prognostic assessments and clinical decision-making.

Structural and functional changes of binocular corneal innervation and ocular surface function after unilateral SMILE and tPRK.

AIMS: To evaluate the bilateral changes in the sub-basal nerve plexus of the cornea and ocular surface function after unilateral small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) and transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy (tPRK) procedures. METHODS: 34 patients were enrolled in the study and underwent unilateral SMILE (21 of 34 patients) or unilateral tPRK (13 of 34 patients). Complete ophthalmic examinations, tear film function tests and Cochet-Bonnet esthesiometry were conducted to assess the effects of the surgeries on the corneal nerves and tear function. Morphological changes were assessed using in vivo confocal microscopy to evaluate the corneal sub-basal nerve plexus and dendritic cells. ELISA was used to measure the tear neuromediators. Clinical and morphological data at each follow-up point were compared with preoperative baseline values. RESULTS: All patients who underwent unilateral SMILE or tPRK procedures exhibited bilateral corneal nerve degenerative changes, decreased corneal sensitivity, worsening of dry eye symptoms and changes in bilateral tear neuromediators. In the SMILE group, bilateral corneal sensitivity was positively correlated with corneal nerve fibre length and negatively correlated with dendritic cell area. The dry eye severity was negatively correlated with corneal sensitivity. Tear levels of substance P and nerve growth factor were positively correlated with mean dendritic cell area and dry eye severity, but negatively correlated with corneal sensitivity. In the tPRK group, bilateral corneal sensitivity was positively correlated with corneal nerve fibre density. CONCLUSIONS: Unilateral refractive surgery may bilaterally affect the morphology and function of corneal nerves and ocular surface status postoperatively.

Insight into the promoted recrystallization and water distribution of bread by removing starch granule - surface and - associated proteins during storage.

The influence of starch granule surface proteins (SGSPs) and starch granule-associated proteins (SGAPs) on bread retrogradation was investigated in a reconstituted dough system. The removal of both SGSPs and SGAPs resulted in poor bread qualities, decreasing specific volume and crumb porosity, leading to more baking loss and compact crumb structure. Particularly, removing SGSPs was effective in promoting the bread retrogradation. After 7 days of storage, the hardness of bread without SGSPs showed an increase of 353.34 g than the bread without SGAPs. Proton population and relaxation times exhibited that the absence of SGSPs significantly decreased the content of bound water from 11.51 % to 7.03 %, indicating lower water-holding capacity due to the loosen gelling structure. Compared to the control group, bread without SGSPs accelerated the starch recrystallinity by a reduction in soluble starch content, thereby increasing the retrogradation enthalpy and relative crystallinity through promoting the molecular reassociation in starch.

Dissolved organic nitrogen is a key to improving the biological treatment potential of landfill leachate.

Biological treatment is one of the most promising efficient, low-carbon and affordable approaches for the treatment of recalcitrantly degradable wastewater, such as landfill leachate. However, even the macroscopic molecular level analysis of dissolved organic matter (DOM) is limiting to the enhancement of biological treatment efficacy, and there is an urgent need for deeper exploration of DOM to gain insights into the key constraining substances. In the present study targeting at piercing leachate organic at molecular level, nitrogen-containing dissolved organic matter (DOMN) was identified to be the bottleneck that govern the biotreatment potential. The conclusion was made based on two series of experiments that compared the same anoxic-aerobic membrane bioreactor process (A process) operated stably at different regions, and compared with C process that coupling A process with a circulation aeration membrane bioreactor to improve aeration efficiency. The results confirmed that the relative abundance of DOMN was absolutely dominant among the three categories of DOM in all biologically treated samples, contributing to 60.36 %-65.81 % in removed-DOM, 60.33 %-70.95 % in refractory-DOM and 63.14 %-71.36 % in derived-DOM. Specifically, the high latitude A process had much lower DOMN removal rate than the low latitude A process (p < 0.05) and much higher refractory and derivatization rates than the low latitude A process (p < 0.05). DOM had similar results. No statistically significant differences were observed in the proportion of the three categories of DOM (DOMN), the elements composition, and the subcategory composition of the C process compared to the A process, in which the DOM (DOMN) derivation rate of NEC1-C (31.92 % and 33.41 %) was much higher than that of NEC1-A (20.88 % and 22.19 %). However, the AIwa and AImodwa of the derived-DOM (DOMN) were significantly higher in the C process than in the A process, which implied that excessive aeration did not enhance the biological treatment potential of the A process, but instead led to the proliferation of microorganisms and the secretion of extracellular polymer substances, which resulted in the derivation of more complex compounds. The results of the correlation analysis indicated that there were some regional differences in the molecular information of DOMN driven by climate temperature. In addition, it was worth mentioning that the nominal oxidation state of carbon (NOSCwa) of derived-DOMN in different regions of A process was noticeably higher than the corresponding DOM (p < 0.0001), implying that the derived-DOMN were still highly biodegradable, in other words, there was still great room for improving the biological treatment potential of landfill leachate. The present study provided a deeper insight and analysis of landfill leachate at the molecular level (DOMN) through multiple practical engineering cases, with a view to providing a theoretical basis for efficient optimization of biological treatment.

Evaluation of the Efficacy of Laparoscopic Modified Uterine Incision Pressure Repair in Type II-III Cesarean Scar Pregnancy.

Objective: This study aims to assess the efficacy of laparoscopic modified uterine incision pressure repair in treating type II-III cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP). Methods: A total of 20 patients diagnosed with type II-III CSP and admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University between April 2021 and May 2023 were enrolled. The patients were divided into two groups: the study group (Group A), consisting of newly treated surgical patients, and the control group (Group B), including patients with type II-III CSP treated by doctors of similar grade and surgical experience (non-novel). Various parameters, including age, menopause duration, pregnancy and delivery history, cesarean section frequency, preoperative human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) levels, pregnancy sac size, HCG turnover time, operation duration, intraoperative blood loss, blood transfusion requirements, and hospitalization costs, were compared. Results: When comparing mean age, menopause duration, preoperative HCG levels, pregnancy and cesarean section frequencies, pregnancy sac size, and HCG turnover time, no statistically significant differences were observed (P > .05). The number of transfusions and hospitalization costs in Group A were lower than in Group B, although the differences were not statistically significant (P > .05). However, operative time, intraoperative bleeding, and hospitalization costs were significantly lower in Group A compared to Group B (P < .05). Conclusions: The laparoscopic modified uterine incision pressure repair method demonstrated clinical value with its advantages of short operation time, reduced bleeding, lower costs, and rapid recovery for type II-III CSP.

Dipterocarpoidae genomics reveal their demography and adaptations to Asian rainforests.

Dipterocarpoideae species form the emergent layer of Asian rainforests. They are the indicator species for Asian rainforest distribution, but they are severely threatened. Here, to understand their adaptation and population decline, we assemble high-quality genomes of seven Dipterocarpoideae species including two autotetraploid species. We estimate the divergence time between Dipterocarpoideae and Malvaceae and within Dipterocarpoideae to be 108.2 (97.8‒118.2) and 88.4 (77.7‒102.9) million years ago, and we identify a whole genome duplication event preceding dipterocarp lineage diversification. We find several genes that showed a signature of selection, likely associated with the adaptation to Asian rainforests. By resequencing of two endangered species, we detect an expansion of effective population size after the last glacial period and a recent sharp decline coinciding with the history of local human activities. Our findings contribute to understanding the diversification and adaptation of dipterocarps and highlight anthropogenic disturbances as a major factor in their endangered status.

DMT1-mediated iron overload accelerates cartilage degeneration in Hemophilic Arthropathy through the mtDNA-cGAS-STING axis.

INTRODUCTION: Excess iron contributes to Hemophilic Arthropathy (HA) development. Divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1) delivers iron into the cytoplasm, thus regulating iron homeostasis. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to investigate whether DMT1-mediated iron homeostasis is involved in bleeding-induced cartilage degeneration and the molecular mechanisms underlying iron overload-induced chondrocyte damage. METHODS: This study established an in vivo HA model by puncturing knee joints of coagulation factor VIII gene knockout mice with a needle, and mimicked iron overload conditions in vitro by treatment of Ferric ammonium citrate (FAC). RESULTS: We demonstrated that blood exposure caused iron overload and cartilage degeneration, as well as elevated expression of DMT1. Furthermore, DMT1 silencing alleviated blood-induced iron overload and cartilage degeneration. In hemophilic mice, articular cartilage degeneration was also suppressed by intro-articularly injection of DMT1 adeno-associated virus 9 (AAV9). Mechanistically, RNA-sequencing analysis indicated the association between iron overload and cGAS-STING pathway. Further, iron overload triggered mtDNA-cGAS-STING pathway activation, which could be effectively mitigated by DMT1 silencing. Additionally, we discovered that RU.521, a potent Cyclic GMP-AMP Synthase (cGAS) inhibitor, successfully suppressed the downward cascades of cGAS-STING, thereby protecting against chondrocyte damage. CONCLUSION: Taken together, DMT1-mediated iron overload promotes chondrocyte damage and murine HA development, and targeted DMT1 may provide therapeutic and preventive approaches in HA.

Coagulation performance and mechanism analysis of humic acid by using covalently bonded coagulants: effect of pH and matching mechanism of humic acid functional groups.

Conventional inorganic coagulants (Al, Fe) and Al/Fe-based covalently bonded flocculants (CAFMs) had different hydrolysis species at different pHs, which subsequently led to differences in their binding sites and complexation ability with humic acid (HA). Studying the binding sites and interactions between CAFMs, AlCl3 (Al), and FeCl3 (Fe) hydrolysates and HA molecules is critical to understanding the coagulation mechanism. The results found that CAFM 0.6, Al, and AlCl3 combined FeCl3 (Al/Fe) removed more than 90% of HA at pH 6, and CAFMs showed higher HA removal rate than that of Al, Fe, and Al/Fe under the same reaction conditions. The flocs of CAFMs contained abundant -NH2/OH as well as the large particle size, compact structure, and excellent settling performance. The hydrolyzed species of Al and Fe were predominantly Alb and Feb at pH 6, but the hydrolyzed species of CAFMs were primarily (Al + Fe)c. Moreover, the hydrolyzed species of Al and Al/Fe were found to complex with HA functional groups such as -COOH, C = O, C-H/C-C, C = C, and C-OH to form ligand bonds, while the hydrolyzed species (Al + Fe)c of CAFMs could deeply interact with HA functional groups including C-O, -COOH, C = O, C-H/C-C, C = C, and C-OH by the adsorption and sweeping.

Erratum: Mitoquinone alleviates osteoarthritis progress by activating the NRF2-Parkin axis.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107647.].

FGF1ΔHBS ameliorates retinal inflammation via suppressing TSPO signal in a type 2 diabetes mouse model.

Translocator protein (18 kDa) (TSPO) plays an important role in retinal neuroinflammation in the early stage of diabetic retinopathy (DR). Studies have found that a FGF1 variant (FGF1ΔHBS) with reduced proliferative potency exerts excellent anti-inflammatory effects and potential therapeutic value for diabetic complications. In this study, intravitreal injection of FGF1ΔHBS was administrated every week for one month in db/db mice, which are genetically predisposed to develop type 2 diabetes mellitus and early retinopathy. Changes in retinal function and structure in the animal models were detected by electrophysiology (ERG) and optical tomography coherence (OCT). TSPO expression and retinal inflammation were analyzed by immunofluorescence, Western blot and real-time qPCR. In the retina of T2D (db/db) mice, FGF1 was significantly down-regulated while FGFR1 was up-regulated (both p < 0.05). TSPO and retinal inflammatory factors were all up-regulated. TSPO and FGFR1 were mainly co-stained in the inner retina. After FGF1ΔHBS treatment, ERG showed that the total amplitude of dark-adapted b-wave and oscillating potentials (Ops) was significantly improved, and OCT showed that the thickness of the retina around the optical nerve head was significantly preserved in T2D mice (all p < 0.05). The TSPO signal was significantly suppressed by FGF1ΔHBS. The activation of NF-κB p65 and the expression of inflammatory factors such as TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6, COX-2, MIP-1α, and iNOS were all significantly down-regulated (all p < 0.05). Collectively, our current data demonstrated that intravitreal FGF1ΔHBS treatment can effectively inhibit retinal inflammation via suppressing TSPO signal and to preserve retinal function and structure in a T2D mouse model.