Reduced contrast sensitivity function is correlated with changes to cone photoreceptors in simple high myopia.

Purpose: To investigate the contrast sensitivity function (CSF) changes in simple high myopia (SHM) and evaluate the correlations between these changes with the early changes in the retinal microstructure. Methods: This prospective study comprised 81 subjects, 20 with emmetropia (EM), 26 with low myopia and moderate myopia (LM/MM), and 35 with SHM. The area under the log CSF curve (AULCSF) and the cut-off spatial frequency (Cut-off SF) were employed as measures of CSF. Adaptive optics (AO) was employed to quantify the cone density, spacing, and regularity. The thickness and blood flow of the retinal sublayers were determined from vertical and horizontal optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) A-scans. Swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) was employed to analyze the choroidal thickness (CT) and choroidal vascularity using a custom algorithm. Differences in the retinal and choroidal parameters, cone distribution, AULCSF, and Cut-off SF were compared among the three groups. Multivariate linear mixed models were used to elucidate the associations between photoreceptor morphological alterations, retinal and choroidal parameters, and AULCSF. Results: The AULCSF and Cut-off SF were significantly lower in the SHM group compared to the EM and LM groups (p < 0.05). The SHM group had less cone density, larger cone spacing, and lower cone regularity than the EM and LM/MM groups (p < 0.05). Moreover, the thickness of the inner segment of photoreceptors (IS), retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) layer and choroid were reduced, and the outer segment of photoreceptors (OS) was thicker in the SHM group compared to the EM and LM/MM groups (all p < 0.05). A longer axial length (AL) was correlated with decreased AULCSF, cone density, and cone spacing (r = -0.800 to 0.752, all p < 0.050). Additionally, decreased CSF was correlated with lower cone density (r = 0.338, p = 0.035). Conclusion: Decreased contrast sensitivity was observed in patients with SHM and cone density was significantly correlated with reduced AUCSF.

Diagnostic value of MRI radiomics in differentiating high­grade glioma from low­grade glioma: A meta­analysis.

No clear conclusions have yet been reached regarding the accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radiomics in distinguishing high-grade glioma (HGG) from low-grade glioma (LGG). In the present study, a meta-analysis was conducted to determine the diagnostic value of MRI radiomics in differentiating between HGG and LGG, in order to guide their clinical diagnosis. PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library databases were searched up to November 2022. The search included studies in which true positive, false positive, true negative and false negative values for the differentiation of HGG from LGG were reported or could be calculated by retrograde extrapolation. Duplicate publications, research without full text, studies with incomplete information or unextractable data, animal studies, reviews and systematic reviews were excluded. STATA 15.1 was used to analyze the data. The meta-analysis included 15 studies, which comprised a total of 1,124 patients, of which 701 had HGG and 423 had LGG. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of the studies overall were 0.92 (95% CI: 0.89-0.95) and 0.89 (95% CI: 0.85-0.92), respectively. The positive and negative likelihood ratios of the studies overall were 7.89 (95% CI: 6.01-10.37) and 0.09 (95% CI: 0.07-0.12), respectively. The pooled diagnostic odds ratio of the studies was 85.20 (95% CI: 54.52-133.14). The area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.91. These findings indicate that radiomics may be an accurate tool for the differentiation of glioma grades. However, further research is needed to verify the most appropriate of these technologies.

One-year myopia control efficacy of cylindrical annular refractive element spectacle lenses.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the 1-year myopia control efficacy of a spectacle lens with annular cylindrical microstructures. METHODS: A total of 118 consecutive eligible children aged 8-12 years with -1.00 D to -4.00 D of spherical component myopia and <1.50 D astigmatism were enrolled between August 2020 and November 2020 at the Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University. Participants were randomly assigned to wear cylindrical annular refractive element (CARE) (n = 61) or single-vision (n = 57) spectacle lenses. Cycloplegic autorefraction (spherical equivalent refraction [SER]) and axial length (AL) were measured at baseline and 6-month intervals. Adaptation and compliance questionnaires were administered during all visits. RESULTS: Among 118 randomized participants, 96 (81.4%) were included in the analyses (mean [SE] age, 10.4 [0.6] years; 49 [51.0%] were female; mean [SE] spherical equivalent refractive error, -2.67 [0.66] D; mean [SE] axial length, 24.75 [0.77] mm). Adjusted 1-year myopia progression was -0.56 D for CARE and -0.71 D for single-vision spectacle lenses. The difference in progression was 0.14 D (95% CI, -0.04 to 0.32) for CARE vs single vision. Adjusted 1-year eye growth was 0.27 mm for CARE and 0.35 mm for single vision. The difference in eye growth was 0.09 mm (95% CI, -0.15 to -0.02) for CARE vs single vision. All groups adapted to their lenses with no reported adverse events, complaints, or discomfort. CONCLUSIONS: Among children with myopia, treatment with cylindrical annular refractive element spectacle lenses significantly reduced the rate of axial elongation over 1 year compared with single-vision spectacle lenses.

Molecular Dynamics Study of Interfacial Micromechanical Behaviors of 6H-SiC/Al Composites under Uniaxial Tensile Deformation.

This paper investigated the micromechanical behavior of different 6H-SiC/Al systems during the uniaxial tensile loading by using molecular dynamics simulations. The results showed that the interface models responded diversely to the tensile stress when the four low-index surfaces of the Al were used as the variables of the joint surfaces. In terms of their stress-strain properties, the SiC(0001)/Al(001) models exhibited the highest tensile strength and the smallest elongation, while the other models produced certain deformations to relieve the excessive strain, thus increasing the elongation. The SiC(0001)/Al(110) models exhibited the largest elongations among all the models. From the aspect of their deformation characteristics, the SiC(0001)/Al(001) model performed almost no plastic deformation and dislocations during the tensile process. The deformation of the SiC(0001)/Al(110) model was dominated by the slip of the 1/6 <112> Shockley partial dislocations, which contributed to the intersecting stacking faults in the model. The SiC(0001)/Al(111) model produced a large number of dislocations under the tensile loading. Dislocation entanglement was also found in the model. Meanwhile, a unique defect structure consisting of three 1/6 <110> stair-rod dislocations and three stacking faults were found in the model. The plastic deformation in the SiC(0001)/Al(112) interface model was restricted by the L-C lock and was carried out along the 1/6 <110> stair-rod dislocations' direction. These results reveal the interfacial micromechanical behaviors of the 6H-SiC/Al composites and demonstrate the complexity of the deformation systems of the interfaces under stress.

Comparison of the efficacy and safety of repeated hepatectomy and radiofrequency ablation in the treatment of primary recurrent liver cancer: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Since there is still controversy about the comparison of the efficacy and safety of RH and RFA in the treatment of recurrent liver cancer, we conducted a meta-analysis to compare the efficacy and safety, in order to provide evidence-based evidence for future research and clinical treatment. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library from the establishment of the database to Feb 2021. We included studies that reported liver cancer patients underwent repeated hepatectomy (RH) or radiofrequency ablation (RFA), and we excluded duplicate publications, research without full text, incomplete information, or inability to conduct data extraction, animal experiments, reviews, and systematic reviews. The STATA 15.1 was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: The pooled results show that the 3-year and 5-year overall survival (OS) rate of the repeated hepatectomy group was significantly higher than the radiofrequency ablation group (odds ratio (OR) = 1.95, 95% confidence interval (CI):1.47-2.60, P ≤ 0.001; OR = 1.65, 95% CI: 1.12-2.43, P = 0.012). Similarly, the pooled results show that the 3-year and 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate of the repeated hepatectomy group was significantly higher than the radiofrequency ablation group (OR = 1.73, 95% CI: 1.30-2.31, P ≤ 0.001; OR = 1.84, 95% CI: 1.38-2.49, P ≤ 0.001). However, there is no significant difference in the 1-year OS and DFS rate of repeated hepatectomy group and radiofrequency ablation group. Additionally, the pooled results show that the postoperative Clavien-Dindo (CD) grade II or higher complication rate of the repeated hepatectomy group was significantly higher than the radiofrequency ablation group (OR = 2.80, 95% CI: 1.37-5.75, P = 0.005). CONCLUSION: Based on the pooled results of 8 existing retrospective studies, RH has a higher OS rate and DFS rate in the treatment of recurrent liver cancer, while the postoperative complication rate of RFA is lower. When survival is the primary goal, RH should be the first choice for recurrent liver cancer.

Icariin improves osteoporosis, inhibits the expression of PPARγ, C/EBPα, FABP4 mRNA, N1ICD and jagged1 proteins, and increases Notch2 mRNA in ovariectomized rats.

Icariin (ICA) is a pharmacologically active flavonoid glycoside that shows promise in the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis (OP). However, the mechanisms underlying the anti-osteoporotic effects of ICA remain largely unclear. The present study used quantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blot and immunohistochemical analysis to examine the effects of ICA on several key targets in the Notch signaling pathway in bone tissue in ovariectomized rats. It was observed that ICA has a pronounced beneficial effect on OP rats and inhibits the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), CCAAT/enhancer binding protein α (C/EBPα) and fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4) mRNA. In addition, it was identified that ICA downregulates the expression of notch1 intracellular domain (N1ICD) and Jagged1 proteins in bone tissue, and suppresses the effect of N1ICD on Notch2 mRNA expression. It is proposed that ICA inhibits the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into adipocytes by inhibiting the expression of PPARγ, C/EBPα and FABP4 mRNA via the Notch signaling pathway. In addition, it is proposed that ICA inhibits the expression of Notch2 mRNA by suppressing the effect of N1ICD. In conclusion, the results provide further mechanistic evidence for the clinical efficacy of ICA in the treatment of OP.

Antiosteoporotic effect of icariin in ovariectomized rats is mediated via the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway.

Icariin (ICA), the main active flavonoid glucoside isolated from Herba Epimedii, has been shown to prevent postmenopausal bone loss in vitro. However, the mechanisms by which ICA prevents bone loss in vivo remain poorly understood. In the present study, the effect of ICA in an ovariectomized (OVX) rat model of osteoporosis was evaluated. Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into sham-operated and OVX groups. The OVX rats were randomly divided into five groups: OVX group (water only), Fosamax (positive) group (5.04 mg/kg, weekly, administered orally), and OVX-ICA groups (125, 250 or 500 mg/kg, daily, administered orally) and treated for 12 weeks. The 125, 250 and 500 mg/kg doses of ICA were designated as low (L-ICA), medium (M-ICA) and high (H-ICA), respectively. Compared with the sham-operated group, the OVX rats had significantly decreased bone mineral density (BMD), reduced serum osteoprotegerin (OPG) and increased serum bone gla protein (BGP) concentrations. ICA significantly increased BMD, biomechanical strength, trabecular bone number and trabecular bone thickness, and reduced lumbar trabecular bone separation. Treatment with ICA also completely normalized the expression of osteoblast markers by increasing serum concentrations of OPG and BGP. Enhanced mineralization was demonstrated by increased expression of differentiation markers. Although further in vivo studies are required to investigate the efficacy of ICA in improving bone mass, this study demonstrates that ICA has strong osteogenic activity, inducing osteogenic differentiation and inhibiting resorption by osteoclasts. It also demonstrates an antiosteoporotic effect for ICA on the basis of BMD, biochemical markers, biomechanical tests and histopathological parameters. Compared with L-ICA and H-ICA, M-ICA was more effective and caused no liver or kidney damage.

Quercetin promotes the osteogenic differentiation of rat mesenchymal stem cells via mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of quercetin on the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway in the osteogenic differentiation of rat mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). A 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay and an alkaline phosphatase (ALP) assay were used to determine the effects of quercetin (concentrations of 0.1, 1 and 10 µmol/l) on the proliferation and differentiation of MSCs and the expression of ALP, respectively. In addition, through the introduction of inhibitors of p38 MAPK, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK), the effects of quercetin on the proteins, ALP, collagen type I (COL I) and bone γ-carboxyglutamate protein (BGP), which are indicators of osteogenic differentiation, were investigated. Immunoblotting was performed to determine the phosphorylation levels of p38 MAPK, ERK1/2 and JNK, while fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to determine the mRNA expression levels of transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß1, bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2 and core binding factor (CBF)α1. At all the concentrations tested, the concentrations of 10, 1 and 0.1 µmol/l quercetin were shown to promote the differentiation of MSCs and the expression of ALP, in which the concentration of 10 µmol/l was optimal. When compared with the control group, the phosphorylation levels of p38 MAPK, ERK1/2 and JNK, the protein expression levels of ALP, COL I and BGP, and the mNRA expression levels of TGF-ß1, BMP-2 and Cbfα1 were increased in the quercetin-treated group. However, with the introduction of inhibitors, the levels of phosphorylated p38 MAPK, ERK1/2 and JNK, and the protein expression levels of ALP, COL I and BGP decreased. Furthermore, the mRNA expression levels of TGF-ß1, BMP-2 and CBFα1 decreased in the quercetin + SP600125 (inhibitor of JNK) and quercetin + PD98059 (inhibitor of ERK1/2) groups. Therefore, quercetin was demonstrated to promote the osteogenic differentiation of MSCs by activating the MAPK signaling pathway. The ERK1/2 and JNK signaling pathways regulate the expression of TGF-ß1, BMP-2 and CBFα1. Thus, activation of the ERK1/2 and JNK signaling pathways may play a leading role in the quercetin-promoted osteogenic proliferation and differentiation of MSCs.