AIM: To compare the changes in corneal epithelial thickness(CET)after small incision lenticule extraction(SMILE)and femtosecond laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis(FS-LASIK).METHODS: A total of 187 patients(187 eyes)who underwent either SMILE or FS-LASIK at Urumqi Aier Eye Hospital between December 2022 and November 2023 were collected. The patients were divided into SMILE group and FS-LASIK group according to surgical methods. The CET of the patients was measured by optical coherence tomography(OCT)system before surgery and at 1 wk, 1, 3, and 6 mo postoperatively.RESULTS: Changes in corneal epithelial thickness(△CET)in the central, paracentral, and mid-peripheral regions were compared at 6 mo postoperatively. The SMILE group was characterized by the most significant thickening in the central area and the least thickening in the mid-peripheral area; while the FS-LASIK group was characterized by the most significant thickening in the paracentral area and the least thickening in the mid-peripheral region. At 1 wk, 1, 3, and 6 mo postoperatively, within the 0-7 mm corneal area, the △CET for both the SMILE and FS-LASIK groups was correlated with the preoperative spherical equivalent.CONCLUSION: Within 6 mo postoperatively, both SMILE and FS-LASIK showed a similar trend in epithelial thickening but with distinct characteristics. The change in corneal epithelial thickness for both procedures was positively correlated with the preoperative diopter.

Objective To introduce an innovative technique, the "balance-shaped sternal elevation device" and its application in the subxiphoid uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for anterior mediastinal masses resection. Methods Patients who underwent single-port thoracoscopic assisted anterior mediastinal tumor resection through the xiphoid process at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University from May to June 2024 were included, and their clinical data were analyzed. Results A total of 7 patients were included, with 3 males and 4 females, aged 28-72 years. The diameter of the tumor was 1.9-17.0 cm. The operation time was 62-308 min, intraoperative blood loss was 5-100 mL, postoperative chest drainage tube retention time was 0-9 days, pain score on the 7th day after surgery was 0-2 points, and postoperative hospital stay was 3-12 days. All patients underwent successful and complete resection of the masses and thymus, with favorable postoperative recovery. Conclusion The "balance-shaped sternal elevation device" effectively expands the retrosternal space, providing surgeons with satisfactory surgical views and operating space. This technique significantly enhances the efficacy and safety of minimally invasive surgery for anterior mediastinal masses, reduces trauma and postoperative pain, and accelerates patient recovery, demonstrating important clinical significance and application value.

Background and Objectives: SH3 and multiple ankyrin repeat domains 3 (Shank3) proteins play crucial roles as neuronal postsynaptic scaffolds. Alongside neuropsychiatric symptoms, individuals with SHANK3 mutations often exhibit symptoms related to dysfunctions in other organs, including the heart. However, detailed insights into the cardiac functions of Shank3 remain limited. This study aimed to characterize the cardiac phenotypes of Shank3-overexpressing transgenic mice and explore the underlying mechanisms. Methods: Cardiac histological analysis, electrocardiogram and echocardiogram recordings were conducted on Shank3-overexpressing transgenic mice. Electrophysiological properties, including action potentials and L-type Ca2+ channel (LTCC) currents, were measured in isolated cardiomyocytes. Ca2+ homeostasis was assessed by analyzing cytosolic Ca2+transients and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ contents. Depolarization-induced cell shortening was examined in cardiomyocytes. Immunoprecipitation followed by mass spectrometrybased identification was employed to identify proteins in the cardiac Shank3 interactome.Western blot and immunocytochemical analyses were conducted to identify changes in protein expression in Shank3-overexpressing transgenic cardiomyocytes. Results: The hearts of Shank3-overexpressing transgenic mice displayed reduced weight and increased fibrosis. In vivo, sudden cardiac death, arrhythmia, and contractility impairments were identified. Shank3-overexpressing transgenic cardiomyocytes showed prolonged action potential duration and increased LTCC current density. Cytosolic Ca2+ transients were increased with prolonged decay time, while sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ contents remained normal. Cell shortening was augmented in Shank3-overexpressing transgenic cardiomyocytes. The cardiac Shank3 interactome comprised 78 proteins with various functions. Troponin I levels were down-regulated in Shank3-overexpressing transgenic cardiomyocytes. Conclusions This study revealed cardiac dysfunction in Shank3-overexpressing transgenic mice, potentially attributed to changes in Ca2+ homeostasis and contraction, with a notable reduction in troponin I.

Background and Objectives: SH3 and multiple ankyrin repeat domains 3 (Shank3) proteins play crucial roles as neuronal postsynaptic scaffolds. Alongside neuropsychiatric symptoms, individuals with SHANK3 mutations often exhibit symptoms related to dysfunctions in other organs, including the heart. However, detailed insights into the cardiac functions of Shank3 remain limited. This study aimed to characterize the cardiac phenotypes of Shank3-overexpressing transgenic mice and explore the underlying mechanisms. Methods: Cardiac histological analysis, electrocardiogram and echocardiogram recordings were conducted on Shank3-overexpressing transgenic mice. Electrophysiological properties, including action potentials and L-type Ca2+ channel (LTCC) currents, were measured in isolated cardiomyocytes. Ca2+ homeostasis was assessed by analyzing cytosolic Ca2+transients and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ contents. Depolarization-induced cell shortening was examined in cardiomyocytes. Immunoprecipitation followed by mass spectrometrybased identification was employed to identify proteins in the cardiac Shank3 interactome.Western blot and immunocytochemical analyses were conducted to identify changes in protein expression in Shank3-overexpressing transgenic cardiomyocytes. Results: The hearts of Shank3-overexpressing transgenic mice displayed reduced weight and increased fibrosis. In vivo, sudden cardiac death, arrhythmia, and contractility impairments were identified. Shank3-overexpressing transgenic cardiomyocytes showed prolonged action potential duration and increased LTCC current density. Cytosolic Ca2+ transients were increased with prolonged decay time, while sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ contents remained normal. Cell shortening was augmented in Shank3-overexpressing transgenic cardiomyocytes. The cardiac Shank3 interactome comprised 78 proteins with various functions. Troponin I levels were down-regulated in Shank3-overexpressing transgenic cardiomyocytes. Conclusions This study revealed cardiac dysfunction in Shank3-overexpressing transgenic mice, potentially attributed to changes in Ca2+ homeostasis and contraction, with a notable reduction in troponin I.

Background and Objectives: SH3 and multiple ankyrin repeat domains 3 (Shank3) proteins play crucial roles as neuronal postsynaptic scaffolds. Alongside neuropsychiatric symptoms, individuals with SHANK3 mutations often exhibit symptoms related to dysfunctions in other organs, including the heart. However, detailed insights into the cardiac functions of Shank3 remain limited. This study aimed to characterize the cardiac phenotypes of Shank3-overexpressing transgenic mice and explore the underlying mechanisms. Methods: Cardiac histological analysis, electrocardiogram and echocardiogram recordings were conducted on Shank3-overexpressing transgenic mice. Electrophysiological properties, including action potentials and L-type Ca2+ channel (LTCC) currents, were measured in isolated cardiomyocytes. Ca2+ homeostasis was assessed by analyzing cytosolic Ca2+transients and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ contents. Depolarization-induced cell shortening was examined in cardiomyocytes. Immunoprecipitation followed by mass spectrometrybased identification was employed to identify proteins in the cardiac Shank3 interactome.Western blot and immunocytochemical analyses were conducted to identify changes in protein expression in Shank3-overexpressing transgenic cardiomyocytes. Results: The hearts of Shank3-overexpressing transgenic mice displayed reduced weight and increased fibrosis. In vivo, sudden cardiac death, arrhythmia, and contractility impairments were identified. Shank3-overexpressing transgenic cardiomyocytes showed prolonged action potential duration and increased LTCC current density. Cytosolic Ca2+ transients were increased with prolonged decay time, while sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ contents remained normal. Cell shortening was augmented in Shank3-overexpressing transgenic cardiomyocytes. The cardiac Shank3 interactome comprised 78 proteins with various functions. Troponin I levels were down-regulated in Shank3-overexpressing transgenic cardiomyocytes. Conclusions This study revealed cardiac dysfunction in Shank3-overexpressing transgenic mice, potentially attributed to changes in Ca2+ homeostasis and contraction, with a notable reduction in troponin I.

Background and Objectives: SH3 and multiple ankyrin repeat domains 3 (Shank3) proteins play crucial roles as neuronal postsynaptic scaffolds. Alongside neuropsychiatric symptoms, individuals with SHANK3 mutations often exhibit symptoms related to dysfunctions in other organs, including the heart. However, detailed insights into the cardiac functions of Shank3 remain limited. This study aimed to characterize the cardiac phenotypes of Shank3-overexpressing transgenic mice and explore the underlying mechanisms. Methods: Cardiac histological analysis, electrocardiogram and echocardiogram recordings were conducted on Shank3-overexpressing transgenic mice. Electrophysiological properties, including action potentials and L-type Ca2+ channel (LTCC) currents, were measured in isolated cardiomyocytes. Ca2+ homeostasis was assessed by analyzing cytosolic Ca2+transients and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ contents. Depolarization-induced cell shortening was examined in cardiomyocytes. Immunoprecipitation followed by mass spectrometrybased identification was employed to identify proteins in the cardiac Shank3 interactome.Western blot and immunocytochemical analyses were conducted to identify changes in protein expression in Shank3-overexpressing transgenic cardiomyocytes. Results: The hearts of Shank3-overexpressing transgenic mice displayed reduced weight and increased fibrosis. In vivo, sudden cardiac death, arrhythmia, and contractility impairments were identified. Shank3-overexpressing transgenic cardiomyocytes showed prolonged action potential duration and increased LTCC current density. Cytosolic Ca2+ transients were increased with prolonged decay time, while sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ contents remained normal. Cell shortening was augmented in Shank3-overexpressing transgenic cardiomyocytes. The cardiac Shank3 interactome comprised 78 proteins with various functions. Troponin I levels were down-regulated in Shank3-overexpressing transgenic cardiomyocytes. Conclusions This study revealed cardiac dysfunction in Shank3-overexpressing transgenic mice, potentially attributed to changes in Ca2+ homeostasis and contraction, with a notable reduction in troponin I.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the strategies and outcomes of assisted reproductive technology (ART) for fertility preservation and promotion in women with malignant tumors, and to analyze ART outcomes across different tumor types. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of female patients who underwent ART for fertility preservation or treatment at the Reproductive Center of the Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2023. A total of 163 ART-aided pregnancy patients with malignant tumors were included in the case group, among which 6 patients underwent embryo cryopreservation for fertility preservation before radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Additionally, 11 unmarried women underwent oocyte cryopreservation due to borderline ovarian tumors, ovarian cancer, breast cancer, or hematological malignancies. The control group was selected from women without a history of malignant tumors who received ART treatment during the same period, using propensity score matching at a ratio of 1∶2, resulting in 326 cases. Data were collected through the reproductive medical record system and telephone follow-up (as of October 31, 2024). Baseline characteristics, controlled ovarian hyperstimulation parameters, laboratory indicators, and pregnancy outcomes were compared between case and control groups and among patients with different tumor types, and the tumor recurrence of the patients was followed up. RESULTS: Patients in the case group had significantly lower ovarian reserve (AMH, AFC) and a higher proportion of diminished ovarian reserve compared to the control group (all P<0.01). Regarding the ovulation induction protocol, the proportion of patients using the minimal stimulation protocol in the case group was significantly higher than that in the control group (29.45% vs. 12.88%, P<0.01), and the total dosage of gonadotropins used was lower (P<0.01). In terms of assisted reproductive outcomes, there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in the number of retrieved oocytes, number of high-quality embryos, fertilization rate, cumulative pregnancy rate, cumulative live birth rate, or miscarriage rate (all P>0.05). However, the number of oocyte retrieval cycles and embryo transfer cycles required to achieve a live birth outcome in the case group were significantly higher than those in the control group (both P<0.05). Subgroup analysis showed that there were no significant differences in cumulative pregnancy rate and live birth rate among patients with different tumor types (thyroid cancer, reproductive system tumors, breast cancer, lung cancer). Nevertheless, lung cancer patients had the lowest ovarian reserve and required the most oocyte retrieval cycles due to their older age; breast cancer patients had a relatively lower fertilization rate partially because some of them were complicated with male factors. A follow-up of 154 tumor patients (with a follow-up rate of 88.5%) revealed that 6 patients (4.20%) had tumor recurrence, and 1 breast cancer patient died due to tumor recurrence. None of the 11 unmarried patients who had undergone oocyte cryopreservation had used the cryopreserved oocytes for assisted pregnancy yet, and 1 patient who had undergone fertility preservation died due to tumor recurrence. CONCLUSIONS Women of reproductive age with malignant tumors are at risk of diminished fertility. ART can effectively preserve and promote fertility, enabling favorable pregnancy and live birth outcomes. It is recommended to initiate a multidisciplinary assessment promptly prior to radiotherapy/chemotherapy and formulate an individualized ART regimen for fertility preservation or promotion, so as to achieve reproductive goals or safeguard future fertility potential.

OBJECTIVE: Recombination events are common and serve as the primary driving force of diverse human adenovirus (HAdV), particularly in children with acute respiratory tract infections (ARIs). Therefore, continual monitoring of these events is essential for effective viral surveillance and control. METHODS: Respiratory specimens were collected from children with ARIs between January 2022 and December 2023. The penton base, hexon, and fiber genes were amplified from HAdV-positive specimens and sequenced to determine the virus type. In cases with inconsistent typing results, genes were cloned into the pGEM-T vector to detect recombination events. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) was performed to characterize the recombinant HAdV genomes. RESULTS: Among 6,771 specimens, 277 (4.09%, 277/6,771) were positvie for HAdV, of which 157 (56.68%, 157/277) were successfully typed, with HAdV-B3 being the dominant type (91.08%, 143/157), and 14 (5.05%, 14/277) exhibited inconsistent typing results, six of which belonged to species B. The penton base genes of these six specimens were classified as HAdV-B7, whereas their hexon and fiber genes were classified as HAdV-B3, resulting in a recombinant genotype designated P7H3F3, which closely resembled HAdV-B114. Additionally, a partial gene encoding L1 52/55 kD was identified, which originated from HAdV-B16. CONCLUSION A novel recombinant, P7H3F3, was identified, containing sequences derived from HAdV-B3 and HAdV-B7, which is similar to HAdV-B114, along with additional sequences from HAdV-B16.
Humans ; Adenoviruses, Human/isolation & purification* ; Respiratory Tract Infections/epidemiology* ; Child, Preschool ; Child ; Recombination, Genetic ; Male ; Beijing/epidemiology* ; Infant ; Female ; Phylogeny ; Adenovirus Infections, Human/epidemiology* ; Acute Disease ; Genome, Viral

Primary biliary cholangitis （PBC） is a liver autoimmune disease with a strong genetic tendency characterized by the degeneration and necrosis of bile duct epithelial cells， and it is often observed in middle-aged and elderly women. With the continuous development of genome-wide association studies， the genetic susceptibility of PBC has attracted more and more attention. This article elaborates on the research advances in the genetic susceptibility genes closely associated with PBC， in order to provide effective targets for the treatment of PBC.

Objective:To investigate the change of chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) imaging in the bilateral substantia nigra (SN) and red nucleus (RN) of Parkinson disease (PD), and to explore the value of CEST-MRI for the clinical application of PD.Methods:This was a cross-sectional study. A total of 45 PD patients (PD group) and 21 sex-, age-, and cognitive-function matched normal control subjects (NC group) were retrospectively enrolled from December 2012 to July 2015 in Beijing Hospital. All subjects underwent brain CEST-MRI and routine MRI. Based on the MATLAB software package, the 4-pool Lorentz fitting model was applied to analyze the signal change of CEST imaging, which could acquire the mean amplitudes of the 4-pool parameters including Amide, nuclear overhauser enhancement (NOE), direct water saturation (DS) and magnetization transfer (MT) in the bilateral SN and RN. Independent samples t test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to compare CEST parameters between the PD group and the NC group and controlled by Bonferroni correction. The combined model was constructed based on parameters with inter-group differences after correction. The receiver operating characteristic curve and area under the curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of the CEST parameters and the combined model. Results:Compared with the NC group, the left SN Amide value, left RN Amide value, and right SN NOE value were reduced in the PD group, and the difference was statistically significant ( t=-3.59, corrected P=0.026; t=-3.77, corrected P=0.016; Z=-3.27, corrected P=0.017). The left SN Amide value, the left RN Amide value, the right SN NOE value, and the combined model all had good diagnostic efficacy in the differentiation of the PD group from the HC group (AUCs of 0.78, 0.79, 0.75, and 0.81, respectively). The combined model had the highest AUC value (0.81) and specificity (97.78%), the Amide value of left SN had the highest sensitivity (93.33%). Conclusions:Quantitative analysis of CEST-MRI based on the 4-pool Lorentz fitting model shows significant differences in the CEST quantitative indicators of the SN and RN between the PD group and the NC group, demonstrating good potential for clinical application in the diagnosis of PD.