Full-thickness osteochondral defect repair using a biodegradable bilayered scaffold of porous zinc and chondroitin sulfate hydrogel.

The regeneration of osteochondral tissue necessitates the re-establishment of a gradient owing to the unique characteristics and healing potential of the chondral and osseous phases. As the self-healing capacity of hyaline cartilage is limited, timely mechanical support during neo-cartilage formation is crucial to achieving optimal repair efficacy. In this study, we devised a biodegradable bilayered scaffold, comprising chondroitin sulfate (CS) hydrogel to regenerate chondral tissue and a porous pure zinc (Zn) scaffold for regeneration of the underlying bone as mechanical support for the cartilage layer. The photocured CS hydrogel possessed a compressive strength of 82 kPa, while the porous pure Zn scaffold exhibited a yield strength of 11 MPa and a stiffness of 0.8 GPa. Such mechanical properties are similar to values reported for cancellous bone. In vitro biological experiments demonstrated that the bilayered scaffold displayed favorable cytocompatibility and promoted chondrogenic and osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow stem cells. Upon implantation, the scaffold facilitated the simultaneous regeneration of bone and cartilage tissue in a porcine model, resulting in (i) a smoother cartilage surface, (ii) more hyaline-like cartilage, and (iii) a superior integration into the adjacent host tissue. Our bilayered scaffold exhibits significant potential for clinical application in osteochondral regeneration.

Detection limit of FT-IR-based bacterial typing based on optimized sample preparation and typing model.

Accurate and efficient bacterial typing methods are crucial to microbiology. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy enables highly distinguishable fingerprint identification of closely related bacterial strains by producing highly specific fingerprints of bacteria, which is increasingly being considered as an alternative to genotypic methods, such as pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and whole genome sequencing (WGS), for bacterial typing. Compared with genotypic methods, FT-IR has significant advantages of convenient operation, fast speed, and low cost. Fundamental research into the detection limit based on optimized analytical conditions for FT-IR bacterial typing, which can avoid excessive bacterial culture time or sampling volume, is particularly important, especially in clinical practice. However, the corresponding parameters have not been fully investigated. In this study, we developed a simplified and reliable procedure for sample preparation, optimized the data analysis procedure, and evaluated the FT-IR detection limit based on the above conditions. In particular, we combined the film mold and calcium fluoride plate for sample preparation. We evaluated the detection limit (about 108 CFU/mL) after parameter optimization using hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and artificial neural network (ANN). The optimization and evaluation of these key fundamentals will better promote future application of FT-IR-based bacterial typing.

Exosome-tuned MOF signal amplifier boosting tumor exosome phenotyping with high-affinity nanostars.

The natural phospholipid structure imparts exosomes with not only cargo protection, but rich sites for coordination with metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) to assemble functional nanocomplexes, such as signal amplifiers. Here, we exploit exosomes to tune MOF signal amplifiers (Exo-MOF) for ultrasensitive phenotyping of tumor-derived exosomes (tExo) based on self-driven coordination assembly and high-affinity nanostars. Exo-MOF leverages the specific coordination interaction between exosome and MOF that cages abundant redox molecules to assemble a super-redox signal amplifier. Moreover, the dispersed immuno-magnetic nanostars, which are assembled with antibodies on the surface of Au nanostars-coated magnetic nanoparticles, allow for rapid capturing of target tExo, addressing the limited mass transfer on electrode surface. Both Exo-MOF and high-affinity nanostars orchestrate the ultrahigh sensitivity (1 particle per 100 µL, higher than that no Exo-MOF by at least 10-fold), specificity and speed of the sensor in tExo detection. Such a sensitive strategy allows profiling tExo across seven cancer types, and revealing the distinct exosomal surface expression patterns. Further, the Exo-MOF sensor accurately distinguishes cancer patients from healthy individuals in a clinical cohort, and provides new opportunities for functional materials assembly and precision diagnostics.

Identification and analysis of microplastics in human lower limb joints.

Microplastics (MPs) have been detected in various human tissues, including the liver, placenta, and blood. However, studies about MPs in the human locomotor system are limited. This study evaluated the presence of MPs in the synovium of 45 patients undergoing hip or knee arthroplasty using micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and Raman microscopy and investigated their association with clinical indicators and local cellular responses. A total of 343 MPs of nine common types were identified, with a mean abundance of 5.24 ± 2.07 particles/g and ranging from 1.16 to 10.77 particles/g. Although there was no clear correlation between MP abundance and demographics, MP abundance was higher in hip samples than in knee samples. In addition, a potential association was observed between MP abundance and specific clinical diagnoses. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that a three-fold increase in MP abundance corresponded to enhanced local cellular stress responses, particularly heat shock protein reactions. Our findings demonstrate the presence of MPs in human joints and suggest that further studies are needed to explore the intricate associations between MPs and anatomical location, clinical diagnosis, and local cellular responses.

Molybdenum and cadmium cause blood-testis barrier dysfunction through ROS-mediated NLRP3 inflammasome activation in sheep.

In this study, 24 healthy male sheep were divided into four groups: the control group, Mo group (45 mg Mo·kg-1·BW), Cd group (1 mg Cd·kg-1·BW), and Mo + Cd group (45 mg Mo·kg-1·BW + 1 mg Cd·kg-1·BW). The experiment was last for 50 d. The results showed that Mo and Cd co-exposure induced histopathological changes and ultrastructural damage, decreased the mRNA and protein expression levels of BTB (blood-testis barrier)-related factors (CX-43, ZO-1, OCLN) (P < 0.05) and the T-SOD and CAT activity (P < 0.05), increased the MDA content (P < 0.05) and the proinflammatory factors levels (P < 0.05) in sheep testes. Moreover, the results showed that a sharp decline in BTB-related factors and antioxidase activity, and a significant increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels (P < 0.05) and the expression levels of NLRP3 inflammasome-related factors (P < 0.05) in primary Sertoli cells (SCs) under Mo and Cd co-exposure. However, treatment with a ROS scavenger or NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitors could relieve BTB damage and oxidative injury, reduce the production of ROS (P < 0.05) and decrease the level of inflammatory factors (P < 0.05). Overall, these results indicated that Mo and Cd co-exposure reduced BTB-related protein levels and promoted ROS production and inflammatory reactions by activating the ROS/NLRP3 inflammasome pathway in sheep testes, which eventually induced reproductive toxicity.

Synergy of different leaf traits determines the particulate matter retention capacity and its susceptibility to rain wash-off.

Rainfall plays a crucial role in the removal of particulate matter (PM) from plant leaves, influencing PM retention and the environmental behaviour of harmful substances that accumulate in PM. This study examined the PM retention capacity, particle size distributions, and wash-off rates of leaf surface PM from three common green tree species in northern China during two natural rainfall events (light rain: 8.3 mm; heavy rain: 54.2 mm), to investigate the relationship between the leaf traits, PM retention capacity, and PM wash-off process. Our results found that leaf morphometric characteristics, such as leaf size, length, width, and aspect ratio (length-to-width), had a negative and significant correlations with the PM retention capacity, but had no significant correlation with the leaf surface PM wash-off rate. Smaller leaves with low aspect ratios exhibited greater stability under external disturbances than large leaves with high aspect ratios, resulting in a higher PM retention capacity and lower wash-off rate. Ridges and grooves enhanced the PM retention capacity by increasing the leaf roughness. Rainfall could wash off all particle size ranges of leaf surface PM without altering their mechanical composition. Larger particles were more easily washed off. Euonymus japonicus, with its small leaf size and low aspect ratio, exhibited the highest PM retention capacity. Its curled leaf shape also hindered light rain from washing off leaf surface PM. Forsythia suspensa, with denser grooves and ridges compared with Prunus serrulata, exhibited a rougher leaf surface and higher PM retention capacity. However, this roughness may reduce wettability, making it easier for runoff to form on the leaf surface and dislodge leaf surface PM, resulting in F. suspensa having the highest wash-off rate. Our results highlight the synergy of different leaf traits on PM retention capacity and the PM stability after rainfall.

Exploitation of Enterobacter hormaechei for biodegradation of multiple plastics.

The escalating problem of environmental ecological pollution caused by plastics presents a significant challenge, which makes the management of plastic waste urgent nowadays. In this study, a bacterium named WX-2 was isolated and screened for its potential in polymer degradation. Through standard microbiological techniques and 16SrDNA gene sequencing, it was identified as Enterobacter hormaechei. To assess its biodegradability potential, various plastics including High density polyethylene, Polypropylene, Linear low density polyethylene, Poly (butyleneadipate-co-terephthalate) and Polyvinyl chloride were subjected to the study. The biodegradability of the plastics was evaluated using multiphase approaches involving techniques such as Scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Mass loss, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Water contact angle, and Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results indicated that WX-2 possesses the capability to utilize diverse plastic polymers as sole carbon sources, displaying distinct biodegradation capacities. Notably, PBAT exhibited heightened susceptibility to degradation by the screened bacterial population.

Condemned or valued: Young children evaluate nonconformity based on nonconformists' group orientations.

Nonconformity--the act of deviating from established norms and expectations of one's group--is often evaluated negatively, despite its potential benefits for society. Three preregistered studies (N = 153) examined how nonconformists' group orientations (attitudes and intentions toward ingroup and outgroups) might affect 4-6-year-olds' evaluations of nonconformity in intergroup situations. Study 1 examined children's default beliefs of nonconformists' group attitudes toward ingroup and outgroup. We found that children expected nonconformists to hold more positive attitudes toward their outgroup than toward their ingroup, and this expectation predicted their disapproval of nonconformity. In Study 2, however, when nonconformity was explicitly motivated by positive intentions toward the ingroup rather than toward the outgroup, children were more accepting of nonconformity. Study 3 found that among nonconformists with different types of group orientations (positive toward the outgroup, ingroup or both group), young children evaluated the most positively nonconformists who bring the ingroup and the outgroup together. Collectively, these findings suggest that children evaluate nonconformity based on nonconformists' group orientations, illuminating one mechanism for how nonconformity could be more socially accepted and valued.

HuR deficiency abrogated the enhanced NLRP3 signaling in experimental ischemic stroke.

Human antigen R (HuR) is a universally expressed RNA-binding protein that plays an essential role in governing the fate of mRNA transcripts. Accumulating evidence indicated that HuR is involved in the development and functions of several cell types. However, its role in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury (CIRI) remains unclear. In this study, we found that HuR was significantly upregulated after CIRI. Moreover, we found that silencing HuR could inhibit the inflammatory response of microglia and reduce the damage to neurons caused by oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion treatment. In vivo, we found that microglial HuR deficiency significantly ameliorated CIRI and reduced NLRP3-mediated inflammasome activation. Mechanistically, we found that HuR could regulate NLRP3 mRNA stability by binding to the AU-rich element (ARE) region within the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of NLRP3 mRNA. In addition, we found that the upregulation of HuR was dependent on the upregulation of NADPH oxidase-mediated ROS accumulation. Collectively, our studies revealed that HuR could regulate NLRP3 expression and that HuR deficiency abrogated the enhanced NLRP3 signaling in experimental ischemic stroke. Targeting HuR may be a novel therapeutic strategy for cerebral ischemic stroke treatment.

Elucidating the chemical interaction effects of herb pair Danshen-Chuanxiong and its anti-ischemic stroke activities evaluation.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Danshen) and Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. (Chuanxiong) is the core herb pair in traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) formulae for treating ischemic stroke. However, the synergistic effect of Danshen-Chuanxiong against anti-ischemic stroke and its compatibility mechanism remains unclear. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to uncover the compatibility mechanism of Danshen-Chuanxiong against ischemic stroke through chemical profiling, pharmacodynamics evaluation, network pharmacology and experimental validation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) combined with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (QTOF-MS) and UHPLC connected with tandem triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (QQQ-MS) were utilized to conduct the chemical interaction analysis. Then the synergistic effects of Danshen-Chuanxiong against ischemic stroke were comprehensively evaluated by the middle cerebral artery occlusion reperfusion (MCAO/R) mice model, zebrafish ischemic stroke model and glutamic acid-induced PC12 cells injury model. Afterwards, network pharmacology and molecular docking were applied to dissect the significant active compounds and potential mechanisms. Finally, the key target proteins were experimentally validated by Western blot. RESULTS: 83 compounds were characterized in Danshen-Chuanxiong by UHPLC-QTOF-MS analysis, and 4 compounds were tentatively identified for the first time. The quantification results (24 accurately identified compounds) in 13 proportions of Danshen-Chuanxiong revealed that Danshen significantly increased the dissolution of most phthalides (from Chuanxiong), while Chuanxiong facilitated the dissolution of most phenolic acids (from Danshen) in solution. The anti-ischemic stroke effects of Danshen-Chuanxiong were significantly better than Danshen or Chuanxiong in attenuating infarct size, reducing brain edema and neurological scores in MCAO/R mice. Also, compared with single herbs, this herb pair exerted better effects of suppressing the incidence of cerebral thrombosis in zebrafish, and increasing the cell viability of glutamic acid-induced PC12 cells. In network pharmacology, 7 effective compounds (rosmarinic acid, chlorogenic acid, salvianolic acid B, (Z)-ligustilide, ferulic acid, caffeic acid, tanshinone IIA) and 5 hub targets (AKT, TNF-α, IL-1ß, CASP3 and BCL2) as well as 4 key pathways were predicted. Western blot results showed that Danshen-Chuanxiong exert therapeutic effects mainly through decreasing the protein expressions of TNF-α, IL-1ß and Cleaved-CASP3, elevating the levels of p-AKT and BCL2. CONCLUSIONS: This work provided an integration strategy for uncovering the synergistic effects and compatibility mechanism of Danshen-Chuanxiong herb pair for treating ischemic stroke, and laid foundation for the further development and utilization of this herb pair.

Dual role of birnessite on the modulation of acid production and reinforcement of interspecific electron transfer in anaerobic digestion.

Achieving efficient anaerobic digestion of highly loaded substrates is one of the most challenging problems in the field of waste resourcing. Here, the addition of birnessite (2.0 g/L) to kitchen wastewater increased the acetate and final methane yields by 40.53 and 99.18 %, respectively, while reducing the yields of propionate and butyrate by 38.17 and 48.86 %, respectively. There were two main pathways for birnessite to enhance anaerobic digestion, one of which is to act as an electron acceptor, by inducing an alteration in the ratio of reduced-state coenzyme I in the microorganism, allowing the acid production process to proceed towards deeper oxidation. Another pathway enhances the interspecific electron transfer between bacteria and archaea and improves methane yield by optimizing the metabolic relationship. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) functional predictions suggest that the extracellular electron transport pathway of the microorganism is enhanced with the addition of birnessite and that its intracellular metabolic pathway is biased towards the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) generation pathway. This work demonstrated that anaerobic digestion facilitation by metallic minerals was not monolithic; that is, different properties of the minerals were employed to intensify the different stages of anaerobic digestion and obtain an amplification cascade.

A clean method for gallium recovery and the coproduction of silica-potassium compound fertilizer and zeolite F from brown corundum fly ash.

Brown corundum fly ash (BCFA) is a solid waste from the brown corundum smelting process that contains abundant Ga, K, Si, and Al, but effectively extracting Ga can be challenging since most of it is located inside the particles. This study proposes a comprehensive utilization method of BCFA that combines hydrothermal leaching and alkali regeneration to extract Ga efficiently while producing silica-potassium compound fertilizer (SPCF) and zeolite F. By utilizing the transformation of phase and structure in the hydrothermal leaching process, Ga extraction is efficiently achieved. The results showed that under the conditions of 210 g/L KOH concentration, a liquidsolid ratio of 25 mL/g, and 160 °C hydrothermal leaching for 60 min, the extraction efficiencies of Ga, K, and Si were 95.91 %, 51.78 %, and 69.57 %, respectively. The solid product's effective SiO2 and K2O contents increased to 24.72 wt% and 17.74 wt%, respectively, which can be further used as SPCF for agricultural production. The hydrothermal leaching solution was regenerated by adjusting the Al/Si molar ratio and crystalizing at 160 °C for 24 h. The Si was recovered in the form of high value-added zeolite F, with only a 3.60 % loss of Ga.

Understanding quality differences between kiwifruit varieties during softening.

Research into variations between kiwifruit varieties particularly their softening quality during storage is important in improving kiwifruit quality. The potential reasons for ripening quality differences between 'Cuixiang' (CX) and 'Hayward' (HWD) kiwifruit were analyzed by physiology and metabolomic data combined with the random forests learning algorithm. The results showed that the storability difference between the two varieties mainly resulted from differences in polygalacturonase (PG) and ß-galactosidase activities. The 1 °C slowed the fruit softening process of both varieties by decreasing their PG activities. A total of 368 metabolites were identified and amino acid, carbohydrate, cofactors and vitamins, as well as nucleotide metabolism are key metabolic modules that affect the ripening differences of CX and HWD kiwifruit. A total of 30 metabolites showed remarkable ability in distinguish the ripening quality of CX and HWD kiwifruit, in which d-glucose, d-maltose, 2-hydroxybutyric acid, phenyllactate, and vitamin B2 were noteworthy for their potential application on the evaluation of kiwifruit taste and nutritional value. These findings provide positive insights into the underlying mechanism of ripening quality differences between CX and HWD kiwifruit and new ideas for identifying key metabolic markers in kiwifruit.

Charge-4e superconductivity and chiral metal in 45°-twisted bilayer cuprates and related bilayers.

The material realization of charge-4e/6e superconductivity (SC) is a big challenge. Here, we propose to realize charge-4e SC in maximally-twisted homobilayers, such as 45∘-twisted bilayer cuprates and 30∘-twisted bilayer graphene, referred to as twist-bilayer quasicrystals (TB-QC). When each monolayer hosts a pairing state with the largest pairing angular momentum, previous studies have found that the second-order interlayer Josephson coupling would drive chiral topological SC (TSC) in the TB-QC. Here we propose that, above the Tc of the chiral TSC, either charge-4e SC or chiral metal can arise as vestigial phases, depending on the ordering of the total- and relative-pairing-phase fields of the two layers. Based on a thorough symmetry analysis to get the low-energy effective Hamiltonian, we conduct a combined renormalization-group and Monte-Carlo study and obtain the phase diagram, which includes the charge-4e SC and chiral metal phases.

Exposure to triphenyltin impairs gut integrity, disturbs gut microbiota, and alters fecal metabolites.

Triphenyltin is an environmental contaminant widely used in antifouling paints and can cause toxicity in various organs in living organisms. However, its effects on intestinal function and the microbiome of the gut remain unknown. The objective of this study was to explore the intestinal toxicity of triphenyltin in mice by orally administering 0, 1.875, 3.75, and 7.5 mg/Kg to adult male mice for 8 weeks. Results showed that triphenyltin caused ileum tissue damage, induced oxidative stress, upregulated inflammation-related gene expression and increased serum tumor-necrosis factor α (TNF-α) levels in mice. Triphenyltin impaired ileum barrier function by downregulating Muc2, ZO-1, Occludin and their protein levels at 3.75 and 7.5 mg/Kg. TPT exposure led to partial inflammation and decreased mucin mRNA expression in the colon. Triphenyltin altered intestinal micro-ecological balance and fecal metabolome in mice. In conclusion, triphenyltin alters the mouse gut microbiota and fecal metabolome.

Metabolomic analysis of serum short-chain fatty acid concentrations in a mouse of MPTP-induced Parkinson's disease after dietary supplementation with branched-chain amino acids.

The gut microbiota and microbial metabolites influence the enteric nervous system and the central nervous system via the microbial-gut-brain axis. Increasing body of evidence suggests that disturbances in the metabolism of peripheral branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) can contribute to the development of neurodegenerative diseases through neuroinflammatory signaling. Preliminary research has shown that longitudinal changes in serum amino acid levels in mouse models of Parkinson's disease (PD) are negatively correlated with disease progression. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine the changes in serum levels of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in a mouse model of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced PD after dietary BCAA supplementation. In our research, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to detect serum SCFA concentrations. The data were then analyzed with principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis. Finally, the correlations of serum SCFA levels with gut and motor function in MPTP-induced PD mice were explored. Propionic acid, acetic acid, butyric acid, and isobutyric acid concentrations were elevated in MPTP + H-BCAA mice compared with MPTP mice. Propionic acid concentration was increased the most, while the isovaleric acid concentration was decreased. Propionic acid concentration was positively correlated with fecal weight and water content and negatively correlated with the pole-climbing duration. In conclusion, these results not only suggest that propionic acid may be a potential biomarker for PD, but also indicate the possibility that PD may be treated by altering circulating levels of SCFA.

Boosting oxygen reduction via MnP nanoparticles encapsulated by N, P-doped carbon to Mn single atoms sites for Zn-air batteries.

An electrocatalyst of single-atomic Mn sites with MnP nanoparticles (NPs) on N, P co-doped carbon substrate was constructed to enhance the catalytic activity of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) through one-pot in situ doping-phosphatization strategy. The optimized MnSA-MnP-980℃ catalyst exhibits an excellent ORR activity in KOH electrolyte with a half-wave potential (E1/2) of 0.88 V (vs. RHE), and the ORR current density of MnSA-MnP-980℃ maintained 97.9 % for over 25000 s chronoamperometric i-t measurement. When using as the cathode, the MnSA-MnP-980℃ displays a peak power density of 51 mW cm-2 in Zinc-Air batteries, which observably outperformed commercial Pt/C (20 wt%). The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveal that the doped P atoms with a strong electron-donating effectively enhances electron cloud density of Mn SAs sites, facilitating the adsorption of O2 molecules. Meanwhile, the introduction of MnP NPs can regulate the electronic structure of Mn SAs sites, making Mn SAs active sites exist in a low oxidation state and are less positively charged, which can supply electrons for ORR process to narrow the adsorption energy barrier of ORR intermediates. This work constructs novel active sites with excellent ORR properties and provides valuable reference for the development of practical application.

Application of narrow band imaging and Lugol's iodine staining in screening for nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the diagnostic value of conventional white light endoscopy (WLE), narrow band imaging (NBI) endoscopy, and Lugol's iodine staining under WLE (endoscopic iodine staining) in the screening and early diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. METHODS: Patients with nasopharyngeal lesions requiring biopsy attending the Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery in our hospital between January 2021 and April 2023 were included in this study. Before biopsy, all subjects underwent conventional WLE, NBI endoscopy, and endoscopic iodine staining. On WLE, according to nasopharyngeal lesion morphology and color, patients were diagnosed with nasopharyngeal carcinoma ( +) or chronic hyperplastic nasopharyngitis (-). On NBI endoscopy, according to nasopharyngeal lesion vascular morphology, patients with type V manifestations (nasopharyngeal carcinoma) were categorized as NBI ( +) and patients with type I-IV manifestations (chronic hyperplastic nasopharyngitis) were categorized as NBI (-). Endoscopic iodine staining (1.6% Lugol's iodine solution) was positive ( +) if the mucosal surface was brown with no white patches, or negative (-) if there was no or light brown staining of the mucosal surface. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on histopathological diagnosis: nasopharyngeal carcinoma or chronic hyperplastic nasopharyngitis. Endoscopic diagnoses were compared with histopathological findings. The diagnostic performance of WLE, NBI endoscopy and endoscopic iodine staining for nasopharyngeal carcinoma were determined. RESULTS: This study included 159 patients. On histopathology, 29 patients were diagnosed with nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and 130 patients were diagnosed with chronic hyperplastic nasopharyngitis. There were no significant differences in the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), accuracy, and area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) of conventional WLE, NBI endoscopy or endoscopic iodine staining for differentiating nasopharyngeal carcinoma and chronic hyperplastic nasopharyngitis. The diagnostic performance of the combination of conventional WLE, NBI endoscopy and endoscopic iodine staining was significantly improved compared to any procedure alone. CONCLUSIONS: Conventional WLE, NBI endoscopy or endoscopic iodine staining had good diagnostic performance for differentiating nasopharyngeal carcinoma and chronic hyperplastic nasopharyngitis. In particular, NBI endoscopy and endoscopic iodine staining alone or combined had clinical utility for identifying patients with nasopharyngeal lesions that are eligible for a watch-and-wait strategy.

The Role of Necroptosis in Cerebral Ischemic Stroke.

Cerebral ischemia, also known as ischemic stroke, accounts for nearly 85% of all strokes and is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Due to disrupted blood supply to the brain, cerebral ischemic injury is trigged by a series of complex pathophysiological events including excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, inflammation, and cell death. Currently, there are few treatments for cerebral ischemia owing to an incomplete understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms. Accumulated evidence indicates that various types of programmed cell death contribute to cerebral ischemic injury, including apoptosis, ferroptosis, pyroptosis and necroptosis. Among these, necroptosis is morphologically similar to necrosis and is mediated by receptor-interacting serine/threonine protein kinase-1 and -3 and mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein. Necroptosis inhibitors have been shown to exert inhibitory effects on cerebral ischemic injury and neuroinflammation. In this review, we will discuss the current research progress regarding necroptosis in cerebral ischemia as well as the application of necroptosis inhibitors for potential therapeutic intervention in ischemic stroke.

Influence of Ocular Biometry Parameters on the Predictive Accuracy of IOL Power Formulas in Patients with High Myopia.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of ocular biometry parameters on the predictive accuracy of 10 intraocular lens (IOL) power formulas in patients with high myopia (HM). METHODS: We analyzed 202 eyes of 202 patients. The ocular biometry was determined preoperatively using an IOLMaster 700. The associations between the biometry parameters and the prediction error (PE) 1 month postoperatively were assessed. HM was defined as an axial length exceeding 26.50 mm. RESULTS: In patients with HM (n = 108), the K6, Emmetropia Verifying Optical (EVO), Olsen, and Barrett Universal II (BUII) formulas had the lowest absolute PEs among the 10 formulas. The ocular biometry parameters were not associated with the PE of K6, EVO, Olsen, or BUII. A longer axial length in HM eyes was associated with myopic outcomes by Kane, Hoffer QST, and VRF and hyperopic outcomes by Holladay 2 and T2. Steeper keratometry, a deeper anterior chamber, and a thicker lens were associated with a hyperopic shift in HM eyes when using VRF, Kane, and Hoffer QST, respectively. In patients without HM (n = 94), there was no difference between the formulas in absolute PE. The significant associations between the biometry parameters and PE in patients with HM were not present in patients without HM. CONCLUSIONS: K6, EVO, Olsen, and BUII displayed high accuracy in HM eyes and were not influenced by preoperative biometry parameters. For the remaining formulas, the preoperative keratometry, anterior chamber depth, lens thickness, and axial length were possible error sources underlying an inaccurate IOL power prediction in patients with HM.