Endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy with and without bicanalicular silicone tube in patients with a small lacrimal sac: a comparative study.

BACKGROUND: To establish whether bicanalicular silicone tube intubation is required during endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy (En-DCR) for treating chronic dacryocystitis with a small lacrimal sac. METHODS: In total, this study enrolled 264 patients diagnosed with unilateral chronic dacryocystitis with small lacrimal sacs via computed tomography-dacryocystography that underwent En-DCR from March 2016-September 2020. Patients were randomized into two treatment groups, with those in group A undergoing tubes intubation and those in group B not undergoing this procedure. The tubes were removed 3 months post-operation in group A. Surgical outcomes and related complication rates were then compared. RESULTS: This study included 242 patients, including124 and 118 in groups A and B, respectively. At the three-month follow-up time point, 12.90% of patients in group A exhibited ostial granulation tissue, with this frequency with no differences observed in group B (11.86%). At 6 months post-surgery, 80.65% of patients in group A and 72.88% of patients in group B exhibited successful surgical outcomes, with no significant differences between groups. At 9 months postoperatively, the overall effective success rate was 60.74%, and the success rate was significantlyhigher in group A relative to group B (group A: 75.81%; group B: 44.92%). There were no failed patient outcomes observed as of the 12-month follow-up time point. CONCLUSIONS: While En-DCR-based treatment of chronic dacryocystitis in those with smalllacrimal sacs did not yield satisfactory outcomes with respect to the overall effective success rate, these results suggest that intraoperative intubation may improve success rates in long-term follow-up.

[Reconsideration of the indications for unicompartmental knee arthroplasty].

Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA), a procedure that has gradually emerged in recent years, is considered an effective treatment for resolving knee pain and restoring good function due to its significant clinical advantages. In the 1980s, Kozinn and Scott proposed the classic indications as selection criteria to identify ideal candidates for UKA. However, as treatment concepts, surgical instruments, surgical techniques, and prosthesis designs for this disease have improved, these indications proposed more than 30 years ago appear too limited, leading to some limitations in the widespread use of UKA. Specifically, surgeons have offered new perspectives on issues related to obesity, age, patellofemoral arthritis, severe varus deformity of the knee, anterior cruciate ligament deficiency, flexion contracture, failed high tibial osteotomy and post-traumatic arthritis. For this reason, this article will briefly discuss modern perspectives involving the indications for UKA based on current evidence with the aim of providing a reference for the reader.

[ALK rearranged Spitz melanocytoma: a clinicopathological and molecular genetic analysis of two cases].

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological, immunohistochemical and molecular characteristics of cutaneous ALK-rearranged Spitz melanocytoma. Methods: Two cases of cutaneous ALK-rearranged Spitz melanocytoma from outside hospital consultations in Department of Pathology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Fudan University in August 2020 and in Shanghai Ackermann Medical Laboratory in June 2022 were collected. The clinicopathological features, immunophenotypes and molecular profiles of two patients with cutaneous Spitzoid melanocytic tumor harboring ALK-rearrangement were analyzed. The literatures were reviewed. Results: The study included an 8-year-old boy and an 11-year-old girl, who presented with a polypoid lesion in the skin of right thigh and left auricle measuring 1.0 cm and 1.2 cm, respectively. Histologically, they were composed of medium to large-sized epithelioid to plump spindle cells, arranged in nested, plexiform or fascicular patterns in the superficial dermis. The neoplastic cells had abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm with round to ovoid vesicular nuclei containing prominent eosinophilic nucleoli. One case showed mild to moderate nuclear pleomorphism and mitotic activity (average, 2/mm2). Immunohistochemically, the epithelioid and plump spindle cells showed diffuse and strong staining of S-100 protein, SOX10, and ALK (D5F3 and 1A4), but did not express HMB45, PNL2 and MiTF. ALK-rearrangement was detected by fuorescence in situ hybridization in both cases. Subsequent next generation sequence (NGS) analysis identified KANK1::ALK and TPM3:ALK fusions. At 34 and 14 months after surgical resection, both patients remained well with no signs of recurrence or metastasis. Conclusions: ALK-rearranged Spitz melanocytoma represents a morphologically and genetically distinct subset of Spitz melanocytoma, characterized clinically by predilection in children and adolescents, with Spitzoid morphology in plexiform pattern, positive immunohistochemical stains, and rearrangement of ALK. As some cases show atypical features and high mitotic activity, a distinction from Spitz melanoma is warranted.

IL-37 alleviates intervertebral disc degeneration via the IL-1R8/NF-κB pathway.

OBJECTIVE: Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) has been reported to be a major cause of low back pain (LBP). Interleukin (IL)-37 is an anti-inflammatory cytokine of the interleukin-1 family, which exerts salutary physiological effects. In this study, we assessed the protective effect of IL-37 on IDD progression and its underlying mechanisms. METHODS: Immunofluorescence (IF) was conducted to measure IL-37 expression in nucleus pulposus tissues. CCK-8 assay and Edu staining were used to examine the vitality of IL-37-treated nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs). Western blot, qPCR, ELISA as well as immunohistochemistry were used to assess senescence associated secreted phenotype (SASP) factors expression; and NF-κB pathway was evaluated by western blot and IF; while IL-1R8 knock-down by siRNAs was performed to ascertain its significance in the senescence phenotype modulated by IL-37. The therapeutic effect of IL-37 on IDD were evaluated in puncture-induced rat model using X-ray, Hematoxylin-Eosin, Safranin O-Fast Green (SO), and alcian blue staining. RESULTS: We found IL-37 expression decreased in the IDD process. In vitro, IL-37 suppressed SASP factors level and senescence phenotype in IL-1ß treated NPCs. In vivo, IL-37 alleviated the IDD progression in the puncture-induced rat model. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that IL-37 inhibited IDD progression by downregulating NF-κB pathway activation in NPCs by activating IL-1R8. CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that IL-37 delays the IDD development through the IL-1R8/NF-κB pathway, which suggests IL-37 as a promising novel target for IDD therapy.

Development of ruminating behavior in Holstein calves between birth and 30 days of age.

Ruminating behavior accompanies the development of the rumen and the intake of solid feed in calves. However, few studies have reported on the emergence and development of rumination. In this study, we observed ruminating behavior changes of 56 Holstein calves (body weight at birth = 40.1 ± 3.96 kg; mean ± standard deviation) from birth to 30 d of age under the feeding management of suckling calves that were only fed pelleted concentrate feed and milk. All calves were housed in individual pens equipped with infrared cameras. We explored feed intake within 30 d of age, body weight on 61 d of age, and other apparent indicators, including the age of first eating the bedding, duration of non-nutritive oral behavior at 25 and 30 d of age, total starter feed intake within 30 d of age, average daily starter feed intake within 30 d of age, and duration of ruminating behavior at 25 and 30 d of age for all calves, to further explore the effects of the age of first ruminating behavior (AFR). The AFR fitted the normal distribution and ranged from 15 to 20 d of age for 50% of the experimental population. The AFR was positively correlated with the age of first eating the bedding and duration of non-nutritive oral behavior at 30 d of age. Total starter feed intake within 30 d of age, average daily starter feed intake within 30 d of age, duration of ruminating behavior at 25 and 30 d of age, and duration of eating the bedding at 25 and 30 d of age were negatively correlated with AFR. Overall, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that has analyzed the correlation between AFR and other indicators. We found that earlier AFR was associated with shorter duration of non-nutritive oral behavior, longer durations of rumination and eating the bedding, and higher feed intake by 30 d of age.

UPDATED UNDERSTANDING OF THE MOLECULAR TARGETS OF RADIOIODINE IN DIFFERENTIATED THYROID CANCER.

Radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy is a mainstay adjuvant treatment for thyroid cancer. Administration of RAI therapy after total or near-total thyroidectomy has shown a survival advantage in numerous properly selected patients. However, the role of RAI therapy after reoperation for persistent or recurrent differentiated thyroid carcinomas (DTCs) is unclear. One reason may be the possible downregulation of the I- transport system after primary surgery. RAI is transported by the sodium iodide symporter (NIS), PENDRIN, anoctamin 1 (ANO1) and cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) and emits ß particles that destroy follicular cells. The identification of pathways of iodide (I-) transport has allowed use of the transport system to render tumours susceptible to RAI treatment via gene therapy. This review focuses on the effect of RAI therapy in follicular cell-derived thyroid cancers and offers potential novel targets that enable improved radioiodine uptake and thus an improved prognosis of thyroid cancer.

Pedagogically fast model to evaluate and optimize passively Q-switched Nd-doped solid-state lasers.

The coupled rate equations with the spatial overlap effect for four-level passively Q-switched lasers are fully considered. A transcendental equation is derived for the residual fraction of the inversion density after the finish of the Q-switched pulse. Comprehensive calculations for the transcendental equation were executed to attain an analytical function for precisely fitting the residual fraction of the inversion density. With the fitting function, a pedagogical model with the correction for high output coupling is developed to straightforwardly analyze the output pulse energy and peak power. Detailed experiments are carried out to validate the model.

Propagation-dependent evolution of interfering multiple beams and kaleidoscopic vortex lattices.

In this Letter, we experimentally explore the propagation-dependent evolution of generating the pseudo-nondiffracting quasi-crystalline (crystalline) beams based on the multibeam interference. We originally derived an analytical formula to exactly manifest the propagation evolution of interfering multiple beams. With the analytical formula, the formation of quasi-crystalline structures in the focal plane can be explicitly verified. Furthermore, the distance of the effective propagation-invariant region can be verified in terms of experimental parameters. More importantly, we employed the developed formula to confirm the formation of kaleidoscopic vortex lattices by means of numerically computing the propagation-dependent phase singularities.

[Expression of mucin-4 in meningiomas and its diagnostic significance].

Objective: To investigate the expression of mucin-4 (MUC4) in meningiomas. Methods: Totally 258 cases of meningiomas and 165 cases of other brain tumors were collected from the First Affiliated Hospital of China University of Science and Technology (Anhui Provincial Hospital) from 2011 to 2017. MUC4, EMA, PR, SSTR-2 protein expression was detected by immunohistochemistry, and their expression in meningiomas and other tumor tissue was compared. Results: The 258 patients with meningioma included 85 males and 173 females, with a mean age of 69 years. Among the meningiomas, 192, 54 and 12 were WHO grades Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ respectively. The overall expression rate of MUC4 in meningiomas was 67.8% (175/258), including 46/46 (100.0%) in meningothelial meningiomas, 3/3 in secretory meningiomas, 44/45 (97.8%) in angiomatous meningiomas, 37/41 (90.2%) in atypical meningiomas, 3/4 in metaplastic meningiomas, 2/3 in microcystic meningiomas, 7/11 in psammomatous meningiomas, 7/11 in chordoid meningiomas, 14/28 (50.0%) in transitional meningiomas, 1/2 in clear cell meningiomas, 1/2 in papillary meningiomas, 4/9 in anaplastic meningiomas, 7/52 (13.5%) in fibrous meningiomas, and 0/1 in rhabdoid meningiomas. In addition, MUC4 was expressed in 44 EMA negative meningiomas and in four SSTR-2 negative meningiomas. PR, EMA, SSTR-2 were expressed in 149 cases (57.7%), 173 cases (67.1%), 235 cases (91.1%) of meningiomas, respectively. MUC4 was not expressed in other tumors in the central nervous system, including schwannomas, neurofibromas, solitary fibrous tumors/hemangiopericytoma (SFT/HPC), hemangioblastoma, gliomas and ependymomas. Conclusion: MUC4 is widely expressed in meningiomas and has great value in distinguishing meningiomas from other non-meningeal epithelial tumorsof the central nervous system.

[Lateral unicompartmental knee arthroplasty: challenges and hopes].

There is a low prevalence of osteoarthritis in the lateral compartment of the knee, but the overall number of domestic patients is large, and lateral unicompartmental arthroplasty (UKA) has good prospects.The unique anatomical structure and kinematic characteristics of the lateral compartment make the surgical operation more challenging.Traditional UKA patients have a high incidence of lower limb mal-alignment and poor prosthetic position, which leads to limit of their promotion and application.In recent years, with the development of treatment concepts, surgical techniques and materials, the survival time of UKA prosthesis has been continuously extended, and the clinical effect has been continuously optimized.Strictly grasp the surgical indications in radiology, anatomy and clinical manifestations, familiarize with the lateral compartment anatomy and biomechanical features, and master the technical details are the prerequisites and guarantees for the success of the lateral UKA.With the advancement of technology, minimal invasion, precision and individuation should be the goal pursued for lateral UKA surgery.

Hyperbaric oxygen inhibits the HMGB1/RAGE signaling pathway by upregulating Mir-107 expression in human osteoarthritic chondrocytes.

OBJECTIVE: MicroRNA (miRNA)107 expression is downregulated but high mobility group box 1 (HMGB-1), Toll-like receptors (TLRs), and receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) are upregulated in osteoarthritic (OA) cartilage. We investigated mir-107/HMGB-1 signaling in OA after hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatment. DESIGN: MiR-107 mimic was transfected and the HMGB-1 was analyzed in OA chondrocytes. MiRNA targets were identified using bioinformatics and a luciferase reporter assay. After HBO treatment, the mRNA or protein levels of HMGB-1, RAGE, TLR2, TLR4, and inducible nitric oxide (NO) synthase (iNOS) and phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) were evaluated. The secreted HMGB-1 and matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) levels were quantified. Finally, we detected the HMGB-1 and iNOS expression in rabbit cartilage defects. RESULTS: Overexpression of miR-107 suppressed HMGB-1 expression in OA chondrocytes. The 3'UTR of HMGB-1 mRNA contained a 'seed-matched-sequence' for miR-107. MiR-107 was induced by HBO and a marked suppression of HMGB-1 was observed simultaneously in OA chondrocytes. Knockdown of miR-107 upregulated HMGB-1 expression in hyperoxic cells. HBO downregulated the mRNA and protein expression of HMGB-1, RAGE, TLR2, TLR4, and iNOS, and the secretion of HMGB-1. HBO decreased the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor (NF)-κB, downregulated the phosphorylation of MAPK, and significantly decreased the secretion of MMPs. Morphological and immunohistochemical observation demonstrated that HBO markedly enhanced cartilage repair and the area stained positive for HMGB-1 and iNOS tended to be lower in the HBO group. CONCLUSIONS: HBO inhibits HMGB-1/RAGE signaling related pathways by upregulating miR-107 expression in human OA chondrocytes.

Effect of benign prostatic hyperplasia on the development of spine, hip, and wrist fractures.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia is one of the most common diseases in the elderly male population. The urinary tract symptoms may increase the risk of falls and fractures. The results indicated that patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia could increase the risk of vertebral compression fractures in both the thoracic and lumbar spine and also hip fractures, but did not increase the risk of wrist fracture. INTRODUCTION: The relationship between benign prostatic hyperplasia and the development of fall-related fractures, especially vertebral compression fractures, has been seldom mentioned in the literature. This study aimed to evaluate the risk of developing vertebral compression fracture, hip fracture, and wrist fracture in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia. METHODS: This study obtained claims data retrospectively from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan and identified 48,114 patients who were diagnosed as having benign prostatic hyperplasia. Subjects of the control cohort were individually matched at a ratio of 4:1 with those in the benign prostatic hyperplasia cohort according to age and the index day. Comorbidities were classified as those existing before the index day and included a previous fracture history, osteoporosis, myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cerebrovascular accident, etc. The end of the follow-up period of the analyses was the day when the patient developed new vertebral compression fractures, hip fractures, or wrist fractures, terminated enrollment from the National Health Insurance, or died or until the end of 2012. The study used the Cox proportion hazard model to determine the hazard ratio for developing new hip fractures. RESULTS: Patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia were significantly more likely than those in the control cohort to develop new vertebral compression fractures in the thoracic spine (0.43% vs. 0.40%, adjusted hazard ratio 3.03, confidence interval 2.12-4.31) and lumbar spine (1.26% vs. 1.23%, adjusted hazard ratio 4.12, confidence interval 3.39-5.01), and hip fracture (1.47% vs. 2.09%, adjusted hazard ratio 1.22, confidence interval 1.10-1.36), but does not increase the risk of wrist fracture (0.61% vs. 0.67%, adjusted hazard ratio 1.07, confidence interval 0.85-1.34). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia exhibited an increased risk of developing vertebral compression fractures in both the thoracic and lumbar spine and also hip fractures, but did not increase the risk of wrist fracture. However, more research is needed to confirm this trend in the clinical setting.

Association between lactic acid sting test scores, self-assessed sensitive skin scores and biophysical properties in Chinese females.

BACKGROUND: Lactic acid sting test (LAST) is a classical method to identify sensitive skin. However, some subjects with self-perceived sensitive skin are negative for LAST. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether LAST scores are associated with specific phenotype of sensitive skin. METHODS: A total of 292 subjects with self-perceived sensitive skin were enrolled in this study. The Sensitive Scale was used to evaluate the severity of burning, stinging, itching, tautness, erythema and scaling based on 0-10 scale scores. In addition to the assessment of LAST scores, epidermal biophysical properties were measured using an MPA system. RESULTS: The Sensitive Scale scores of stinging, itching, tautness and scaling were significantly different between the LAST-positive and -negative groups. However, burning and erythema scores did not differ between the LAST-positive and -negative groups. LAST scores were positively correlated with the Sensitive Scale scores for stinging, itching, tautness and scaling, but not for burning and erythema scores. Moreover, LAST scores negatively correlated with stratum corneum hydration, but positively with transepidermal water loss (TEWL) rates. CONCLUSIONS: Lactic acid sting test scores positively correlated with TEWL rates. LAST scores could be used to identify subjects with sensitive skin characterized mainly by stinging and itching, but not those mainly by burning and erythema.

CONTEXTE: Le test de la piqûre d'acide lactique (LAST) est une méthode classique pour identifier les peaux sensibles. Cependant, certaines personnes s'évaluant ayant une peau sensible sont négatifs au test LAST. OBJECTIF: Déterminer si le score du LAST est associé à un phénotype spécifique de peau sensible. MÉTHODES: Au total, 292 personnes s'évaluant ayant une peau sensible ont été inclus dans cette étude. L'échelle de sensibilité a été utilisée pour évaluer la sévérité de la brûlure, du picotements, de la démangeaison, de la tension, de l'érythème et des desquamations basée sur une échelle de 0-10. En plus de l'évaluation du score LAST, les propriétés biophysiques épidermiques ont été mesurées à l'aide d'un système MPA. RÉSULTATS: Les scores de l'échelle de sensibilité pour le picotement, les démangeaisons, la tension et la desquamation étaient significativement différents entre la groupe LAST positif et celle du LAST négatif. Cependant, les scores de la brûlure et de l'érythème n'étaient pas différents entre les deux groupes. Le score LAST était positivement corrélé avec les scores de l'échelle de sensibilité du picotement, des démangeaisons, de la tension et des desquamations, mais pas pour la brûlure et l'érythème. En plus, les scores LAST étaient négativement corrélés avec l'hydratation du stratum corneum, mais positivement corrélés avec le taux de perte en eau transépidermique (TEWL). CONCLUSIONS: Les scores LAST étaient corrélés positivement avec le taux de perte en eau transépidermique. Les scores LAST pourraient être utilisés pour identifier les personnes avec la peau sensible caractérisée principalement le picotement et les démangeaisons, mais pas la brûlure et l'érythème.

Transcriptional regulatory region and DNA methylation analysis of TNNI1 gene promoters in Gaoyou duck skeletal muscle (Anas platyrhynchos domestica).

1. The slow skeletal muscle troponin I (TNNI1) gene has been found to be specifically expressed in slow muscle fibres and plays an important role in muscle development. The aim of this study was to determine the active control area of duck TNNI1 and identify the potential cis-regulatory elements in the promoter. 2. In this study, the TNNI1 promoter was first cloned by genome walking and the sequences were analysed using bioinformatics software. Firefly luciferase reporter gene vectors, driven by a series of constructs with progressive deletions, were used to identify the core transcriptional regulatory region of the duck TNNI1 gene. The methylation status of the CpG island in the TNNI1 promoter was detected in skeletal muscle on embryonic days 21 and 27, by bisulphite sequencing PCR (BSP). 3. The results showed two CpG islands presented in the promoter region, with one of the CpG islands located in the core transcriptional regulatory region (-2078/-885 bp). The total methylation levels of the 14 CpG sites were not altered between breast and leg muscles on embryonic days 21 and 27. However, four CpG sites (loci of positions 4, 11, 13, and 14) showed dramatically different methylation levels between breast and leg muscles at embryonic days 21 and 27. Analysis showed that multiple CpG sites had a significant correlation between the methylation levels of the CpG sites and mRNA expressions in skeletal muscle. Multiple transcription factor binding sites including Sp1, c-Myc, Oct-1 and NF-kB motifs were identified and might be responsible for transcriptional regulation of the TNNI1 gene. 4. These findings contribute to further understanding of the fundamental mechanism for transcriptional regulation of the TNNI1 gene in ducks.

[Changes and clinical significance of serum proteinase 3 in latent autoimmune diabetes in adults].

Objective: To investigate the changes of circulating proteinase 3 (PR3) in latent autoimmune diabetes mellitus in adults (LADA) patients, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients, obese patients without diabetes and healthy controls, and explore the value of serum PR3 in differentiating LADA and T2DM. Methods: Forty LADA patients, 29 T2DM patients, 26 obesity patients without diabetes, and 76 healthy controls were enrolled in Department of Metabolism & Endocrinology, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University. Serum PR3 was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The differences of serum PR3 among the four groups were compared. The correlation between serum PR3 and other metabolic indexes was analyzed. The value of serum PR3 in the differential diagnosis between LADA and T2DM was evaluated. Results: There was no significant difference in age among LADA patients, T2DM patients, obesity patients without diabetes and healthy controls [(50±13) years, (49±6) years, (49±6) years vs (47±7) years, P=0.254], while there was significant difference in gender among the four groups (χ(2)=18.28, P<0.001). Serum PR3 was significantly increased in LADA patients compared to the other three groups [195.4 (127.6, 288.1) µg/L vs 43.4 (30.9, 53.7) µg/L, 36.0 (29.2, 46.4) µg/L, 41.2 (30.2, 52.8) µg/L, all P<0.01], whereas there was no significant differences among the other three groups. After adjustment for age, gender and body mass index (BMI), serum PR3 remained higher in LADA patients compared to the other three groups. Correlation analysis indicated that PR3 correlated positively with fasting and 2-hour postprandial blood glucose (r=0.346, r=0.357, both P<0.001). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed that the cut-off value of PR3 (71.7 µg/L) for differentiating LADA and T2DM had a sensitivity of 97.5% and specificity of 89.7% and rendered an area under the curve of 0.955 (95%CI: 0.894~1.000, compared to 0.5, P<0.01). Conclusion: Serum PR3 significantly elevated in LADA patients, and may serve as a biomarker for differentiating LADA and T2DM patients.

[Clinical effects of surgical treatment of high myopic strabismus fixus by modified Yokoyama's surgery combined with medial rectus muscle recession].

Objective: To analyze clinical effects of modified Yokoyama's surgery combined with medial rectus muscle recession for treatment of high myopic strabismus fixus. Methods: Retrospective analysis of records of 9 patients (14 eyes) with high myopic strabismus fixus treated from February 2013 to December 2016 in the Department of Ophthalmology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University. All patients underwent modified Yokoyama's surgery. The temporal 1/2 of the superior rectus (SR) and the superior 1/2 of the lateral rectus (LR) were united 12 to 14 mm, combined with medial rectus muscle recession. The angle of deviation of primary position, the mobility of the affected eye, and the change of CT imaging were observed and analyzed before and 6 months after surgery. Statistical analysis was performed by Mann-Whitney U test. Results: The patients were 5 females and 4 males with an average age of (60±10) years. The duration of high myopia was (33.33±6.61) years. The refractive power was (-23.32±5.95) D, and the axial length was (33.04±2.63) mm. The recession mount of medial rectus was (7.2±2.1) mm (4.0-10.0 mm) intraoperatively. At 6 months, the median esotropia improved from 130 (80-140) prism diopter (PD) to 0 (0-10) PD, and the hypotropia from 20 (15-25) PD to 0 (0-5) PD. The median abduction limitation decreased from -3 (-4--1) to -1 (-2-0), and the median limitation of elevation decreased from -2 (-4--1) to 0 (-1-0). The angle of esotropia and hypotropia significantly improved (Z=-2.67, -2.70; P=0.008, 0.007), and the restriction of abduction and elevation decreased (Z=-3.35, -3.24; both P=0.001). Only 3 patients' CT images were enrolled in a comparative study. Preoperative orbital CT scans showed inferior LR displacement and medial SR displacement with the posterior portion of the eyeball to the superotemporal quadrant of the orbit. After surgery, the mean reduction ratio of dislocation degree of the 3 patients was 28.97%, the dislocation of LR and SR was reduced, and the posterior global part was correctly positioned within the orbit. Conclusions: The modified Yokoyama's surgery combined with medial rectus muscle recession can effectively correct high myopic strabismus fixus, recover the eyeball anatomical position, and evidently improve eye mobility. The clinical effects are satisfactory. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2019, 55: 670-676).

Micro124-mediated AHR expression regulates the inflammatory response of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) with nasal polyps.

MicroRNAs represent a component of the innate immune responses that can restrain inflammatory signaling, miR124 is an important member of inflammation-associated miRNAs, and abnormal miR124 expression is observed in many inflammatory diseases and immune disorders. However, the role and signaling pathways of miR124 in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNPs) have not been studied in detail. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is a ligand-inducible transcription factor that is highly conserved in evolution and plays important roles in the inflammatory response process. In our study, we describe the role of miR124 in the inflammatory response of CRS with nasal polyps. We found that the expression of miR124 was decreased in nasal polyps, and negatively correlated with the expression of AHR. MiR124 can inhibit AHR expression by directly target 3' untranslated region (3'-UTR) of AHR. To further investigate the relationship between miR124, AHR and CRS inflammatory response, we transfect HNEpC cells with miR124 mimic, miR124 inhibitors or siRNA of AHR, then all the results showed that miR124 could regulates cellular inflammatory response through negatively regulating AHR expression. This study demonstrated that the regulation of AHR expression by miR124 is critical to the development of inflammatory response in CRSwNPs.

The potential of salivary biomarkers for predicting the sensitivity and monitoring the response to nonsurgical periodontal therapy: A preliminary assessment.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The response to nonsurgical periodontal treatment varied among patients. This study assessed the potential of salivary biomarkers for predicting the sensitivity and monitoring the response to nonsurgical periodontal therapy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study recruited 34 participants with severe chronic periodontitis (the test group) and 20 participants without periodontal destruction in any teeth (the control group) from September 6, 2013 to August 25, 2017. Participants in the test group received nonsurgical periodontal therapy and were further divided into 2 subgroups of 17 low responders and 17 high responders, based on probing depth reduction. Clinical periodontal parameters were recorded, and saliva samples were harvested before and after nonsurgical periodontal therapy. Salivary biomarkers, including interleukin (IL)-1beta (IL-1ß), IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), IL-6, IL-8, platelet-derived growth factor-BB, vascular endothelial growth factor, MMP-8, MMP-9, C-reactive protein, and lactoferrin were analyzed. RESULTS: Compared with participants in the control group, participants in the test group had significantly greater periodontal pocket depth, clinical attachment level, and salivary IL-1ß and MMP-8 levels, and all of these parameters were significantly reduced after nonsurgical periodontal therapy. The pretreatment levels of IL-1ß, MMP-8, and lactoferrin were significantly higher in participants of the high-responder subgroup than participants of the low-responder subgroup.Based on the analysis from a dichotomous table, MMP-8 and lactoferrin showed odds ratios of 5.76, with 71% sensitivity and 71% specificity, and statistical significance (P = .02) for discriminating between the high- and low-responder subgroups. CONCLUSION: Salivary IL-1ß and MMP-8 might be useful for diagnosing periodontitis and monitoring the recovery of periodontitis following nonsurgical periodontal therapy. MMP-8 and lactoferrin showed potential for predicting the sensitivity to the treatment.

Pharyngeal airway changes following maxillary expansion or protraction: A meta-analysis.

The aim of this meta-analysis was to investigate the changes in airway dimensions after rapid maxillary expansion (RME) and facemask (FM) protraction. Using PubMed, Medline, ScienceDirect and Web of Science, only controlled clinical trials, published up to November 2016, with RME and/or FM as keywords that had ≥6 months follow-up period were included in this meta-analysis. The changes in pharyngeal airway dimension in both two-dimensional and three-dimensional images were included in the analysis. Nine studies met the criteria. There are statically significant changes in upper airway and nasal passage airway in the intervention groups as compared to the control groups, assessed in two-dimensional and three-dimensional images. However , in the lower airway and the airway below the palatal plane, no statistically significant changes are seen in 2D and 3D images. RME/FM treatments might increase the upper airway space in children and young adolescents. However, more RCTs and long-term cohort studies are needed to further clarify the effects on pharyngeal airway changes.

The influence of mulberry leaf flavonoids and Candida tropicalis on antioxidant function and gastrointestinal development of preweaning calves challenged with Escherichia coli O141:K99.

This study investigated the effects of mulberry (Morus alba L.) leaf flavonoids and Candida tropicalis on the growth, gastrointestinal development, enzyme activity of gastrointestinal digesta, and blood antioxidant function of dairy calves challenged with Escherichia coli O141:K99. A total of 15 Holstein preweaning bull calves (age = 28 d; body weight = 51 ± 3.9 kg, mean ± standard deviation) were randomly divided into 3 homogeneous groups with no supplementation (control, CON), Candida tropicalis added at 1 g/calf per day (CT), and mulberry leaf flavonoids added at 3 g/calf per day (MLF). The feed efficiency was greater in calves fed MLF than in CON either before or after the E. coli challenge test. The fecal score increased after E. coli challenge, but it was greater in the CON group than in the CT treatment and in the MLF group at d 1, 2, and 3 after the E. coli challenge. Calves fed the CT diet showed decreased blood ß-hydroxybutyrate concentrations compared with those on the CON and MLF diets before the E. coli challenge. Dietary supplementation with CT resulted in lower blood superoxide dismutase activity than the CON after E. coli challenge. The calves fed CT and MLF showed much lower blood glutathione peroxidase activity than the CON group after being challenged with E. coli. The tunica mucosa of the duodenum was lower in CT and MLF than in CON. The lactase activity of the jejunal digesta was greater in MLF than in CON and CT. In summary, MLF and CT supplementation might effectively improve antioxidant function and reduce the incidence of oxidative stress after challenge with E. coli in 28-d-old preweaning calves, and this effect may be partially explained by the relative decreases in blood superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase as well as fecal score.