BACKGROUND: The contraction behaviors of cardiomyocytes (CMs), especially contraction synchrony, are crucial factors reflecting their maturity and response to drugs. A wider field of view helps to observe more pronounced synchrony differences, but the accompanied greater computational load, requiring more computing power or longer computational time. METHODS: We proposed a method that directly correlates variations in optical field brightness with cardiac tissue contraction status (CVB method), based on principles from physics and photometry, for rapid video analysis in wide field of view to obtain contraction parameters, such as period and contraction propagation direction and speed. RESULTS: Through video analysis of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived CMs labeled with green fluorescent protein (GFP) cultured on aligned and random nanofiber scaffolds, the CVB method was demonstrated to obtain contraction parameters and quantify the direction and speed of contraction within regions of interest (ROIs) in wide field of view. The CVB method required less computation time compared to one of the contour tracking methods, the LucasKanade (LK) optical flow method, and provided better stability and accuracy in the results. CONCLUSION This method has a smaller computational load, is less affected by motion blur and out-of-focus conditions, and provides a potential tool for accurate and rapid analysis of cardiac tissue contraction synchrony in wide field of view without the need for more powerful hardware.

Objective To explore the relationship between PANoptosis and hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (HIRI), and to screen the key genes of PANoptosis in HIRI. Methods PANoptosis-related differentially expressed genes (PDG) were obtained through the Gene Expression Omnibus database and GeneCards database. Gene ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) were used to explore the biological pathways related to PDG. A protein-protein interaction network was constructed. Key genes were selected, and their diagnostic value was assessed and validated in the HIRI mice. Immune cell infiltration analysis was performed based on the cell-type identification by estimating relative subsets of RNA transcripts. Results A total of 16 PDG were identified. GO analysis showed that PDG were closely related to cellular metabolism. KEGG analysis indicated that PDG were mainly enriched in cellular death pathways such as apoptosis and immune-related signaling pathways such as the tumor necrosis factor signaling pathway. GSEA results showed that key genes were mainly enriched in immune-related signaling pathways such as the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. Two key genes, DFFB and TNFSF10, were identified with high accuracy in diagnosing HIRI, with areas under the curve of 0.964 and 1.000, respectively. Immune infiltration analysis showed that the control group had more infiltration of resting natural killer cells, M2 macrophages, etc., while the HIRI group had more infiltration of M0 macrophages, neutrophils, and naive B cells. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction results showed that compared with the Sham group, the relative expression of DFFB messenger RNA in liver tissue of HIRI group mice increased, and the relative expression of TNFSF10 messenger RNA decreased. Cibersort analysis showed that the infiltration abundance of naive B cells was positively correlated with DFFB expression (r=0.70, P=0.035), and the infiltration abundance of M2 macrophages was positively correlated with TNFSF10 expression (r=0.68, P=0.045). Conclusions PANoptosis-related genes DFFB and TNFSF10 may be potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for HIRI.

The global distribution of medical resources is uneven and organ shortages are becoming increasingly serious. ASEAN countries have been working hard to explore and promote local organ transplantation in order to alleviate the serious imbalance between organ donation and organ transplantation needs. However, the development of cadaveric organ donation varies among ASEAN countries, and the cadaveric organ donation rate in most countries is generally low. Since 1991, China and ASEAN have evolved from dialogue to strategic cooperation, then to a community with a shared future, and further to a comprehensive strategic partnership, all demonstrating broad prospects for cooperation. This article analyzes the current situation and challenges of organ donation and transplantation in ASEAN countries, combining field visits and its own experience, and proposes strategies for strengthening international cooperation, optimizing policy environment, enhancing technical capabilities, and increasing public awareness in the field of organ donation and transplantation under the China-ASEAN development strategy framework. The aim is to build a more equitable, efficient, and sustainable organ donation and transplantation system, contributing to the realization of global public health security and a community of common health for mankind.

BACKGROUND: The contraction behaviors of cardiomyocytes (CMs), especially contraction synchrony, are crucial factors reflecting their maturity and response to drugs. A wider field of view helps to observe more pronounced synchrony differences, but the accompanied greater computational load, requiring more computing power or longer computational time. METHODS: We proposed a method that directly correlates variations in optical field brightness with cardiac tissue contraction status (CVB method), based on principles from physics and photometry, for rapid video analysis in wide field of view to obtain contraction parameters, such as period and contraction propagation direction and speed. RESULTS: Through video analysis of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived CMs labeled with green fluorescent protein (GFP) cultured on aligned and random nanofiber scaffolds, the CVB method was demonstrated to obtain contraction parameters and quantify the direction and speed of contraction within regions of interest (ROIs) in wide field of view. The CVB method required less computation time compared to one of the contour tracking methods, the LucasKanade (LK) optical flow method, and provided better stability and accuracy in the results. CONCLUSION This method has a smaller computational load, is less affected by motion blur and out-of-focus conditions, and provides a potential tool for accurate and rapid analysis of cardiac tissue contraction synchrony in wide field of view without the need for more powerful hardware.

BACKGROUND: The contraction behaviors of cardiomyocytes (CMs), especially contraction synchrony, are crucial factors reflecting their maturity and response to drugs. A wider field of view helps to observe more pronounced synchrony differences, but the accompanied greater computational load, requiring more computing power or longer computational time. METHODS: We proposed a method that directly correlates variations in optical field brightness with cardiac tissue contraction status (CVB method), based on principles from physics and photometry, for rapid video analysis in wide field of view to obtain contraction parameters, such as period and contraction propagation direction and speed. RESULTS: Through video analysis of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived CMs labeled with green fluorescent protein (GFP) cultured on aligned and random nanofiber scaffolds, the CVB method was demonstrated to obtain contraction parameters and quantify the direction and speed of contraction within regions of interest (ROIs) in wide field of view. The CVB method required less computation time compared to one of the contour tracking methods, the LucasKanade (LK) optical flow method, and provided better stability and accuracy in the results. CONCLUSION This method has a smaller computational load, is less affected by motion blur and out-of-focus conditions, and provides a potential tool for accurate and rapid analysis of cardiac tissue contraction synchrony in wide field of view without the need for more powerful hardware.

BACKGROUND: The contraction behaviors of cardiomyocytes (CMs), especially contraction synchrony, are crucial factors reflecting their maturity and response to drugs. A wider field of view helps to observe more pronounced synchrony differences, but the accompanied greater computational load, requiring more computing power or longer computational time. METHODS: We proposed a method that directly correlates variations in optical field brightness with cardiac tissue contraction status (CVB method), based on principles from physics and photometry, for rapid video analysis in wide field of view to obtain contraction parameters, such as period and contraction propagation direction and speed. RESULTS: Through video analysis of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived CMs labeled with green fluorescent protein (GFP) cultured on aligned and random nanofiber scaffolds, the CVB method was demonstrated to obtain contraction parameters and quantify the direction and speed of contraction within regions of interest (ROIs) in wide field of view. The CVB method required less computation time compared to one of the contour tracking methods, the LucasKanade (LK) optical flow method, and provided better stability and accuracy in the results. CONCLUSION This method has a smaller computational load, is less affected by motion blur and out-of-focus conditions, and provides a potential tool for accurate and rapid analysis of cardiac tissue contraction synchrony in wide field of view without the need for more powerful hardware.

BACKGROUND: The contraction behaviors of cardiomyocytes (CMs), especially contraction synchrony, are crucial factors reflecting their maturity and response to drugs. A wider field of view helps to observe more pronounced synchrony differences, but the accompanied greater computational load, requiring more computing power or longer computational time. METHODS: We proposed a method that directly correlates variations in optical field brightness with cardiac tissue contraction status (CVB method), based on principles from physics and photometry, for rapid video analysis in wide field of view to obtain contraction parameters, such as period and contraction propagation direction and speed. RESULTS: Through video analysis of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived CMs labeled with green fluorescent protein (GFP) cultured on aligned and random nanofiber scaffolds, the CVB method was demonstrated to obtain contraction parameters and quantify the direction and speed of contraction within regions of interest (ROIs) in wide field of view. The CVB method required less computation time compared to one of the contour tracking methods, the LucasKanade (LK) optical flow method, and provided better stability and accuracy in the results. CONCLUSION This method has a smaller computational load, is less affected by motion blur and out-of-focus conditions, and provides a potential tool for accurate and rapid analysis of cardiac tissue contraction synchrony in wide field of view without the need for more powerful hardware.

ObjectiveTo investigate the perceived experience and acceptance of intrapartum ultrasound （IPUS） as a novel method for labor progress assessment among pregnant women. MethodsFrom February 2023 to December 2024， a total of 180 pregnant women admitted to the Labor Ward of Lingnan Hospital， the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University， who were planned for vaginal trial of labor ， were accessed for labor progress using IPUS and vaginal examination （VE） after the onset of labor and prior to the initiation n of labor analgesia. A self-designed questionnaire was used to investigate the women's perceived experiences with both examination methods and their acceptance of IPUS. The pain intensity associated with the examinations was evaluated using the visual analogue pain scale （VAS）. Differences in the women's experiences and pain intensity between the two labor progress assessment methods were compared. ResultsThe acceptance rate of IPUS was 96.67% （174/180）， with the remaining 6 cases undecided. Over 60% of the pregnant women reported IPUS assessment as comfortable and none of them felt discomfort， whereas 32.8% felt uncomfortable with VE （χ²=196.02， P＜0.001）. Nearly two-thirds of the pregnant women believed that VE would cause psychological distress， while none reported such effect with IPUS （χ²=261.52， P＜0.001）. Approximately 77.78% （140/180） of the pregnant women believed that IPUS could reduce their fear of vaginal delivery and enhance their confidence if it replaced VE. The VAS score for IPUS ［0 （0， 2）］ was significantly lower than that for VE ［4 （4， 6）］ （Z=-14.62， P＜0.001）. Further stratified analysis showed that over 90% （164/180） of the pregnant women found IPUS painless， with no moderate or severe pain reported， compared to 43.33% （78/180） experienced moderate or severe pain with VE （P＜0.001）. ConclusionAs a novel approach for labor progress assessment， IPUS not only alleviates the pain and discomfort associated with traditional VE and reduces the fear of childbirth but also enhances women's confidence in delivery， thereby achieving a high level of acceptance among parturient women in China.

Objective:To explore the association of human betaine-homocysteine methyltransferase ( BHMT) and BHMT2 gene polymorphisms with non-syndromic congenital heart disease (CHD). Methods:A hospital-based case-control study was conducted, in which children with CHD who attended Hunan Children′s Hospital from January 2018 to May 2019 were enrolled as the case group, and children without any congenital deformity who attended the hospital during the same period were enrolled as the control group on a 1∶1 basis. A self-administered questionnaire survey was performed to collect information about the study subjects and their mothers, and then venous blood samples were collected from the subjects to detect BHMT and BHMT2 gene polymorphisms. Logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the association of BHMT and BHMT2 gene polymorphisms and their haplotypes with CHD. Crossover analyses and logistic regression were used to explore the gene-gene and gene-environment interactions. Results:The case and control group both enrolled 620 children. The multivariate logistic regression showed that BHMT gene polymorphisms at rs3733890 (AA vs. GG: OR=3.476, Q FDR<0.001; GA vs. GG: OR=1.525, Q FDR=0.036), at rs1915706 (CC vs. TT: OR=3.464, Q FDR<0.001) and at rs1316753 (GG vs. CC: OR=1.875, Q FDR=0.020) increased the risk of CHD. Children with haplotype of A-G-A had an increased risk of CHD ( OR=1.468, 95% CI: 1.222-1.762). Interaction analysis showed that a statistically significant positive interaction between rs3733890 and rs1915706 on both additive ( RERI=0.628, 95% CI: 0.298-0.958) and multiplicative ( OR=3.754, 95% CI: 1.875-7.519) scales. Gene-environment interactions were found between the BHMT gene with secondhand smoke exposure before pregnancy and in early pregnancy, tea consumption before pregnancy and in early pregnancy, alcohol consumption before pregnancy, and folic acid supplementation before or during pregnancy. Conclusion:BHMT gene rs3733890, rs1915706 and rs1316753 polymorphisms may be associated with the risk of CHD. In addition, there is an association of cooperative interaction between rs3733890 and rs1915706 on both additive and multiplicative scales with the risk of CHD, and the BHMT gene interacts with multiple environmental factors.

Objective:To explore the association of human betaine-homocysteine methyltransferase ( BHMT) and BHMT2 gene polymorphisms with non-syndromic congenital heart disease (CHD). Methods:A hospital-based case-control study was conducted, in which children with CHD who attended Hunan Children′s Hospital from January 2018 to May 2019 were enrolled as the case group, and children without any congenital deformity who attended the hospital during the same period were enrolled as the control group on a 1∶1 basis. A self-administered questionnaire survey was performed to collect information about the study subjects and their mothers, and then venous blood samples were collected from the subjects to detect BHMT and BHMT2 gene polymorphisms. Logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the association of BHMT and BHMT2 gene polymorphisms and their haplotypes with CHD. Crossover analyses and logistic regression were used to explore the gene-gene and gene-environment interactions. Results:The case and control group both enrolled 620 children. The multivariate logistic regression showed that BHMT gene polymorphisms at rs3733890 (AA vs. GG: OR=3.476, Q FDR<0.001; GA vs. GG: OR=1.525, Q FDR=0.036), at rs1915706 (CC vs. TT: OR=3.464, Q FDR<0.001) and at rs1316753 (GG vs. CC: OR=1.875, Q FDR=0.020) increased the risk of CHD. Children with haplotype of A-G-A had an increased risk of CHD ( OR=1.468, 95% CI: 1.222-1.762). Interaction analysis showed that a statistically significant positive interaction between rs3733890 and rs1915706 on both additive ( RERI=0.628, 95% CI: 0.298-0.958) and multiplicative ( OR=3.754, 95% CI: 1.875-7.519) scales. Gene-environment interactions were found between the BHMT gene with secondhand smoke exposure before pregnancy and in early pregnancy, tea consumption before pregnancy and in early pregnancy, alcohol consumption before pregnancy, and folic acid supplementation before or during pregnancy. Conclusion:BHMT gene rs3733890, rs1915706 and rs1316753 polymorphisms may be associated with the risk of CHD. In addition, there is an association of cooperative interaction between rs3733890 and rs1915706 on both additive and multiplicative scales with the risk of CHD, and the BHMT gene interacts with multiple environmental factors.