1.Compact Fundus Imaging System Using Shack-Hartmann Wavefront Sensing for High-speed Auto-focus
Zhe-Kai LIN ; Long CHEN ; Geng-Yong ZHENG ; Jin-Tian HUANG ; Jia-Xin DONG ; Shang-Pan YANG ; Wen-Zheng DING ; Ding-An HAN ; Xue-Hua WANG ; Ya-Guang ZENG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(4):1076-1086
ObjectiveThe widespread adoption of portable fundus cameras for primary care and community screening is hindered by limitations in current autofocus(AF) technologies. Image-based methods relying on sharpness evaluation require iterative searches, resulting in slow convergence, while projection-based techniques are susceptible to optical artifacts and calibration errors. To address these challenges, this study introduces a novel AF system based on direct wavefront sensing, designed to deliver simultaneous high speed, high precision, and operational robustness within the compact form factor essential for portable ophthalmic devices. MethodsOur approach fundamentally reimagines the AF process by directly measuring the ocular wavefront aberration. We developed a custom portable fundus camera integrating a miniaturized Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor (SHWS) into the optical path. An 850 nm laser diode projects a point source onto the retina via oblique illumination to minimize corneal reflections. Light scattered from this spot carries the eye’s refractive error through the imaging optics and is directed to the SHWS, positioned at a plane optically conjugate to the primary color CMOS imaging sensor. A microlens array within the SHWS samples the incident wavefront, generating a pattern of focal spots on a CCD. Real-time centroid analysis of these spots provides a map of local wavefront slopes. These measurements are processed through a singular value decomposition (SVD) algorithm to fit a Zernike polynomial basis set, enabling real-time reconstruction of the wavefront phase. The defocus component (S) is extracted from the second-order Zernike coefficients, providing a direct, quantitative measure of the refractive error in diopters. This value serves as a precise error signal in a closed-loop control system, which commands a voice-coil actuated focusing lens to its null position in a single, deterministic step, eliminating the need for iterative search algorithms. ResultsComprehensive evaluation demonstrated the system’s high performance. Testing on a calibrated model eye (OEMI-7) established a highly linear relationship between the computed defocus S and the focusing lens position across a ±20 Diopter (D) compensation range, achievable within a 5 mm mechanical travel. The system achieved a focusing precision of 0.08 D, corresponding to an 18-fold improvement over a conventional projection spot-size method tested under identical conditions. The total focus acquisition time, encompassing wavefront measurement, computation, and lens actuation, averaged under 0.5 s. Clinical validation with 25 human volunteers (50 eyes, refractive range -15 D to +10 D) confirmed practical efficacy. The wavefront-sensing AF succeeded in 92% of attempts with a mean time of 0.5 s, substantially outperforming a projection-based benchmark which achieved only a 32% success rate with an average time of 4.25 s. The system provided instantaneous directional guidance and maintained stability during minor ocular movements. Objective assessment of image quality, via amplitude contrast of retinal vasculature, showed consistent and significant enhancement following AF correction across the entire tested diopter range. ConclusionThis work successfully implements and validates a direct wavefront-sensing autofocus paradigm for portable fundus cameras. By directly quantifying and compensating for the optical defocus aberration, this method bypasses the fundamental limitations of image-processing and projection-based techniques, enabling rapid, precise, and deterministic diopter compensation. The developed system delivers an exceptional combination of a wide operational range (±20 D), high accuracy (0.08 D), fast convergence (0.5 s), and a compact physical footprint. This technology provides a practical and high-performance focusing solution capable of enhancing the reliability, throughput, and diagnostic utility of portable retinal imaging in large-scale screening applications. Future efforts will be directed towards system cost optimization and performance adaptation for diverse ocular conditions.
3.Risk factors for bleeding complications in patients undergoing percutaneous liver biopsy
Gui JIA ; Dawei DING ; Yanqiu FANG ; Tao LI ; Lina CUI ; Yulong SHANG ; Ying HAN
Chinese Journal of Internal Medicine 2025;64(6):542-548
Objective:To investigate the effect of thrombocytopenia and coagulation dysfunction on bleeding complications in patients undergoing percutaneous liver biopsy.Methods:The clinical, laboratory, and demographic data of patients undergoing percutaneous liver biopsy at the First Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University from January 2005 to January 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. The incidence of bleeding was recorded. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to assess the effects of thrombocytopenia and coagulation dysfunction on the risk of postoperative bleeding. Furthermore, we assessed the bleeding risk in patients with autoimmune hepatitis.Results:A total of 2 885 liver perforations were performed in 2 364 patients, 98.4% of whom had an autoimmune liver disease. There were 27 cases of postoperative bleeding (0.9%). The univariate logistic regression analysis showed that platelet count (PLT)( P<0.05, OR=0.975), coagulation dysfunction (international normalized ratio; INR)( P<0.05, OR=6.954), and cirrhosis ( P<0.05, OR=3.857) were associated with bleeding. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that PLT was an independent risk factor for bleeding ( P<0.05, OR=0.975). PLT scores of 40×10 9/L and 65×10 9/L can classify the bleeding risk of patients with thrombocytopenia into high, medium, and low risk. There was no difference in the risk of bleeding between the 40×10 9/L
4.Evaluation of information quality in autoimmune liver disease-related videos on TikTok
Yanqiu FANG ; Gui JIA ; Yansheng LIU ; Lina CUI ; Yulong SHANG ; Ying HAN
Chinese Journal of Internal Medicine 2025;64(8):759-765
Objective:To evaluate the quality of information on autoimmune liver disease in videos on the TikTok short video platform.Methods:The keyword "autoimmune liver disease" was used to search the top 200 videos on TikTok in the default sorting order. Using the DISCERN video quality assessment tool and the structured content integrity evaluation tool, we assessed the quality of the information in each video in relation to the pertinent disease guidelines. Furthermore, we investigated any relationships between the quality of the videos and their characteristics (likes, comments, retweets, days and duration of uploading).Results:A total of 140 videos were included, 96.4% of which were provided by medical professionals. The content completeness scores for each dimension were as follows: definition, 1.0 (0.0, 1.0); symptoms, 0.0 (0.0, 1.0); risk factors, 0.0 (0.0, 0.5); assessment, 0.5 (0.0, 1.5); management, 0.5 (0.0, 1.0); and outcome, 0.0 (0.0, 1.0). Furthermore, 91.4% of videos with DISCERN scores of ≤50 were of "fair" quality or below. Additionally, the difference in DISCERN scores between videos from different publishers was not statistically significant ( P>0.05). The number of likes, comments, favorites, retweets, and video duration had a strong positive correlation with the overall DISCERN score ( r=0.17, 0.18, 0.25, 0.26, 0.44, all P<0.05). Conclusions:The overall quality of videos related to autoimmune liver disease on the TikTok video platform is low. Therefore, publishers should focus on the comprehensiveness and accuracy of the information. Additionally, the TikTok platform should optimize its video review mechanism to provide the public with more accurate and reliable health information.
5.Multi-center clinical study on the efficacy and safety of combined lienal polypeptide injection therapy in children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia
Qi CHENG ; Yunxiao SHANG ; Han ZHANG ; Jiujun LI ; Ning CHEN ; Lishen SHAN ; Nan YANG ; Lihua NING ; Xuemei BAI ; Jianhua LIU ; Yuling HAN ; Jichun WANG ; Jing LI ; Yong FENG ; Liyun LIU ; Li CHEN ; Si LIU ; Qinzhen ZHANG ; Jia ZHENG ; Fengchao LI ; Sukun LU ; Yun ZHANG ; Xiaoyi CHAI
International Journal of Pediatrics 2025;52(3):204-210
Objective:To observe the efficacy and safety of combined lienal polypeptide injection therapy in the treatment of Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia(MPP)in children aged 3 to 14 years old in multiple clinical centers.Methods:A randomized,controlled,multi-center clinical study design was adopted.A total of 240 hospitalized children aged 3 to 14 years old with MPP from 7 hospitals from September 1,2023 to January 31,2024 were included.According to the severity of pneumonia,they were divided into the mild MPP group with 80 cases and the severe MPP/refractory MPP(SMPP/RMPP)group with 160 cases,and then randomly divided into the control group and the experimental group at a ratio of 1 ∶1,using the random number table method.After screening,subjects entered a treatment period of 5 to 7 days.The control group was treated with azithromycin,while the experimental group was treated with azithromycin plus lienal polypeptide injection .The recovery of lung CT,length of hospital stay,duration of fever,cough score,whether mild cases developed into severe or refractory cases,duration of hormone use,use of intravenous immunoglobulin(IVIG),bronchoscopy treatment,and immune function were observed between the two groups to evaluate the efficacy of lienal polypeptide injection.Adverse events after medication,vital signs,blood routine,urine routine,liver function,myocardial enzymes,renal function,and electrocardiogram were observed to evaluate the safety. Results:A total of 231 subjects have completed the trial in the 7 hospitals,including 118 cases in the experimental group and 113 cases in the control group.Main observation index:the rate of lung CT aggravation in the experimental group was lower than that in the control group(2.6% vs 15.3%, P<0.01),and the difference was statistically significant.Secondary indexes:there were no statistically significant differences in the length of hospital stay,duration of fever,cough score,duration of hormone use,whether IVIG treatment was used,the number of bronchoscopy treatment cases,and immunoglobulin between the two groups(all P>0.05).However,the rate of cases of plastic bronchitis(PB)found under bronchoscopy in the experimental group was lower than that in the control group(0 vs 18.8%, P=0.03),and the difference was statistically significant.Among the mild MPP(72 cases),there were no statistically significant differences in the length of hospital stay,duration of fever,cough score,duration of hormone use,whether IVIG treatment was used,the number of bronchoscopy treatment cases,and the improvement rate of lung CT between the two groups(all P>0.05).However,compared with the control group,the rate of cases developing into SMPP/RMPP in the experimental group was less(24.3% vs 48.6%, P=0.03),and the difference in IgG before and after treatment was small[0.53(-0.04,1.18)g/L vs 1.33(0.48,2.25)g/L, P=0.01].Among the SMPP/RMPP cases(159 cases),the rate of cases of PB found under bronchoscopy in the experimental group was less than that in the control group(0 vs 20%, P=0.04),and the rate of cases with aggravated lung CT in the experimental group was less than that in the control group(1.3% vs 19.5%, P<0.01),and the improvement rate of lung CT in the experimental group was higher than that in the control group(88.8% vs 75.3%, P=0.03),with statistically significant differences.There were no statistically significant differences in the length of hospital stay,duration of fever,cough score,duration of hormone use,whether IVIG treatment was used,the number of bronchoscopy treatment cases,and immunoglobulin between the two groups(all P>0.05).Two cases in the experimental group developed rashes,which improved after the drug was discontinued.There were no serious adverse reactions such as abnormal vital signs like dyspnea and cyanosis due to the use of lienal polypeptide injection.There were no obvious changes in blood routine,liver function,myocardial enzymes,renal function,electrocardiogram,and urine routine values before and after medication compared with the baseline. Conclusion:The combined use of lienal polypeptide injection in the treatment of MPP in children can reduce the probability of the transformation from mild cases to SMPP/RMPP,reduce the rate of aggravation of the image findings,promote the absorption of lung inflammation,reduce the rate of PB found under bronchoscopy,and has good safety.
6.Action mechanism of mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes carrying miRNAs in improving spinal cord injury
Jia GUO ; Yafeng REN ; Bing LI ; Jing HUANG ; Wenya SHANG ; Yike YANG ; Huiyao LIU
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2025;29(36):7827-7838
BACKGROUND:Currently,spinal cord injury imposes a huge psychological and economic burden on patients and the National Health Service.The prevention,treatment,and rehabilitation of spinal cord injury have become an important topic in the field of medicine.Therefore,it is important to explore new effective therapeutic strategies based on an in-depth understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms of spinal cord injury.OBJECTIVE:To review the research progress on the mechanism of action of mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes loaded with various miRNAs in improving the function of spinal cord injury,and based on the current status of clinical translation,to put forward a few thoughts and outlooks on their clinical use.METHODS:The first author searched CNKI and PubMed databases using"mesenchymal stem cells,exosomes,spinal cord injury,miRNA,pathophysiology,clinical translation,clinical trials,good manufacturing practice"as Chinese and English search terms.The types of literature included treatises and reviews,and the language types were English and Chinese.Finally,72 papers were screened and analyzed.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)This article outlines the biological properties of exosomes and the advantages that they can serve as good vectors for loading miRNAs.A variety of miRNAs mediated by mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes mainly promote the recovery of neuronal function by regulating the expression of nerve regeneration-associated proteins,repressing RAS homologous gene family member A,activating cyclophosphoadenosine effector-binding proteins,and signaling and transcriptional activation proteins 3,and regulating phosphoinositide and tensin homologue/programmed cell death factor 4 pathways.Inflammatory responses were improved by regulating endoplasmic reticulum-to-nucleus signaling 1,expression of interferon regulatory factor 5,Toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor-kappa B pathway,and down-regulating related pro-inflammatory factors.Angiogenesis was promoted by inhibition of germination-associated domain 1-containing EVH1 and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase regulatory subunit 2.(2)Further comparative analyses revealed that miR-216-5p,miR-145-5p,and miR-146b improved inflammatory responses by regulating related pathways.Combining these miRNAs may produce more significant effects;hypoxic preconditioning may be a preconditioning method to increase the efficacy of exosomal therapy.(3)There are currently no clinical trials applying mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes to spinal cord injury,which is related to the need to meet good manufacturing practices before they can be put into clinical use.Challenges such as the need for large-scale,high-volume cell production,the lack of an efficient and uniform method for isolating exosomes,and the need to pass a strict regulatory approval mechanism prior to clinical use have impeded the clinical entry.(4)miRNAs have great potential as exosomal contents of mesenchymal stem cells in the treatment of spinal cord injury,and their mechanism of action should be explored in depth as well as accelerated to the clinical trial stage in order to provide a new and effective method for the treatment of spinal cord injury.
7.Air Pollution and Cardiac Biomarkers in Heart Failure: A Scoping Review.
Gang LI ; Yan Hui JIA ; Yun Shang CUI ; Shao Wei WU ; Tong Yu MA ; Yun Xing JIANG ; Hong Bing XU ; Yu Hui ZHANG ; Mary A FOX
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2025;38(11):1430-1443
Ambient air pollution is increasingly being recognized as a risk factor for heart failure; however, its effects on cardiac biomarkers remain unclear. This scoping review assessed the existing evidence on the association between air pollution and cardiac biomarkers in heart failure, described the key concepts, synthesized data, and identified research gaps. Following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and CNKI databases were searched for studies on air pollution, heart failure, and biomarkers. A total of 765 records were screened, and 81 full texts were assessed for eligibility, resulting in 15 studies. The results showed that the exposure to particulate matter was associated with elevated N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide and troponin levels. Several studies have linked particulate matter exposure to a higher cardiovascular risk and heart failure biomarkers. Inflammatory and oxidative stress markers were consistently elevated across studies, supporting the biological relevance of these associations. However, few studies have focused specifically on populations with heart failure or clinically relevant biomarkers, and the evidence for gaseous pollutants remains inconclusive. These findings highlight the need to integrate environmental risk assessment into heart failure care and inform policy efforts to reduce the pollution-related cardiovascular burden. Further research should address these gaps through improved exposure assessments and the integration of mechanistic evidence.
Heart Failure/epidemiology*
;
Biomarkers/metabolism*
;
Humans
;
Air Pollution/adverse effects*
;
Air Pollutants/adverse effects*
;
Particulate Matter/adverse effects*
;
Environmental Exposure
;
Natriuretic Peptide, Brain/blood*
;
Oxidative Stress
;
Troponin/blood*
8.Action mechanism of mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes carrying miRNAs in improving spinal cord injury
Jia GUO ; Yafeng REN ; Bing LI ; Jing HUANG ; Wenya SHANG ; Yike YANG ; Huiyao LIU
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2025;29(36):7827-7838
BACKGROUND:Currently,spinal cord injury imposes a huge psychological and economic burden on patients and the National Health Service.The prevention,treatment,and rehabilitation of spinal cord injury have become an important topic in the field of medicine.Therefore,it is important to explore new effective therapeutic strategies based on an in-depth understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms of spinal cord injury.OBJECTIVE:To review the research progress on the mechanism of action of mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes loaded with various miRNAs in improving the function of spinal cord injury,and based on the current status of clinical translation,to put forward a few thoughts and outlooks on their clinical use.METHODS:The first author searched CNKI and PubMed databases using"mesenchymal stem cells,exosomes,spinal cord injury,miRNA,pathophysiology,clinical translation,clinical trials,good manufacturing practice"as Chinese and English search terms.The types of literature included treatises and reviews,and the language types were English and Chinese.Finally,72 papers were screened and analyzed.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)This article outlines the biological properties of exosomes and the advantages that they can serve as good vectors for loading miRNAs.A variety of miRNAs mediated by mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes mainly promote the recovery of neuronal function by regulating the expression of nerve regeneration-associated proteins,repressing RAS homologous gene family member A,activating cyclophosphoadenosine effector-binding proteins,and signaling and transcriptional activation proteins 3,and regulating phosphoinositide and tensin homologue/programmed cell death factor 4 pathways.Inflammatory responses were improved by regulating endoplasmic reticulum-to-nucleus signaling 1,expression of interferon regulatory factor 5,Toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor-kappa B pathway,and down-regulating related pro-inflammatory factors.Angiogenesis was promoted by inhibition of germination-associated domain 1-containing EVH1 and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase regulatory subunit 2.(2)Further comparative analyses revealed that miR-216-5p,miR-145-5p,and miR-146b improved inflammatory responses by regulating related pathways.Combining these miRNAs may produce more significant effects;hypoxic preconditioning may be a preconditioning method to increase the efficacy of exosomal therapy.(3)There are currently no clinical trials applying mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes to spinal cord injury,which is related to the need to meet good manufacturing practices before they can be put into clinical use.Challenges such as the need for large-scale,high-volume cell production,the lack of an efficient and uniform method for isolating exosomes,and the need to pass a strict regulatory approval mechanism prior to clinical use have impeded the clinical entry.(4)miRNAs have great potential as exosomal contents of mesenchymal stem cells in the treatment of spinal cord injury,and their mechanism of action should be explored in depth as well as accelerated to the clinical trial stage in order to provide a new and effective method for the treatment of spinal cord injury.
9.The performance of long non-coding rnas in the differential diagnosis of elderly pulmonary tuberculosis
Xiuxiu JI ; Siyu YAO ; Jing DONG ; Qiuyue LIU ; Yingchao WANG ; Xuetian SHANG ; Hongyan JIA ; Lanyue ZHANG ; Chuanzhi ZHU ; Zongde ZHANG ; Liping PAN
Chinese Journal of Geriatrics 2025;44(6):801-807
Objective:To detect the expression levels of long non-coding RNAs(lncRNA)in elderly patients with pulmonary tuberculosis(PTB)and those with non-tuberculous lung diseases(non-TB), and to assess the performance of these lncRNA in the differential diagnosis of PTB.Methods:A total of 300 elderly patients with suspected PTB were recruited from Beijing Chest Hospital between January 2024 and September 2024, and were further divided into the PTB group and the non-TB lung disease group based on the results of mycobacterium tuberculosis(MTB)pathogenicity testing.Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated using a lymphocyte separation solution, and RNA was extracted using the TRIzol method.Nine lncRNAs, previously identified as differentially expressed in PTB through our group's microarray analysis, were selected and detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction to evaluate the expression levels of these lncRNAs between the PTB and non-TB lung disease groups.The overall patients were randomly divided into training and validation sets in a 7∶3 ratio.Lasso regression was employed to select the characteristic variables, and a random forest algorithm was then used to construct the lncRNA diagnostic portfolio.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were generated to evaluate the diagnostic performance of individual lncRNAs and the combined panel in differentiating elderly patients with PTB from those with other non-TB lung diseases.Results:A total of 201 cases were included, with 105 confirmed elderly patients diagnosed with PTB(52.2%)and 96 elderly patients suffering from non-TB lung disease(47.8%).Compared to the elderly patients with non-TB lung disease, the expression levels of ENST00000417346.1, ENST00000620744.1, lncRNA PWP1, ENST00000583184.1, lncRNA ABHD17B, ENST00000607464.1, ENST00000516057.1, and NR_003000 were significantly downregulated in the PTB patients, whereas the expression level of lncRNA BCL2L10 was significantly upregulated in the PTB patients.ROC analysis revealed that the area under the curve(AUC)for each lncRNA ranged from 0.659 to 0.848.The diagnostic panel, which included NR_003000, ENST00000607464.1, ENST00000583184.1, and ENST00000620744.1 as determined by Lasso analysis, exhibited AUC values of 0.917 and 0.906 in the training and validation sets, respectively.The performance of this panel was superior to that of each individual lncRNA.Conclusions:The random forest model, which incorporates NR_003000, ENST00000607464.1, ENST00000583184.1, and ENST00000620744.1, demonstrates potential in differentiating between PTB and non-TB lung diseases.
10.Risk factors for bleeding complications in patients undergoing percutaneous liver biopsy
Gui JIA ; Dawei DING ; Yanqiu FANG ; Tao LI ; Lina CUI ; Yulong SHANG ; Ying HAN
Chinese Journal of Internal Medicine 2025;64(6):542-548
Objective:To investigate the effect of thrombocytopenia and coagulation dysfunction on bleeding complications in patients undergoing percutaneous liver biopsy.Methods:The clinical, laboratory, and demographic data of patients undergoing percutaneous liver biopsy at the First Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University from January 2005 to January 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. The incidence of bleeding was recorded. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to assess the effects of thrombocytopenia and coagulation dysfunction on the risk of postoperative bleeding. Furthermore, we assessed the bleeding risk in patients with autoimmune hepatitis.Results:A total of 2 885 liver perforations were performed in 2 364 patients, 98.4% of whom had an autoimmune liver disease. There were 27 cases of postoperative bleeding (0.9%). The univariate logistic regression analysis showed that platelet count (PLT)( P<0.05, OR=0.975), coagulation dysfunction (international normalized ratio; INR)( P<0.05, OR=6.954), and cirrhosis ( P<0.05, OR=3.857) were associated with bleeding. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that PLT was an independent risk factor for bleeding ( P<0.05, OR=0.975). PLT scores of 40×10 9/L and 65×10 9/L can classify the bleeding risk of patients with thrombocytopenia into high, medium, and low risk. There was no difference in the risk of bleeding between the 40×10 9/L

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