AIM: To investigate the differences in morphological structure and retinal blood perfusion between the affected eye and the contralateral healthy eye using optical coherence tomography angiography(OCTA)in patients with idiopathic macular epiretinal membrane(IMEM)before and after surgery, and to evaluate the association of these parameters with functional and anatomical outcomes to inform prognostic assessment. METHODS:A prospective study was conducted at Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital between January 2023 and December 2024. Consecutive patients diagnosed with unilateral IMEM were enrolled; the fellow eye served as an internal control. All participants underwent standardized ophthalmic evaluations, including optical coherence tomography(OCT), OCTA, and color fundus photography. Key quantitative parameters assessed included best-corrected visual acuity(BCVA), central macular thickness(CMT), foveal avascular zone(FAZ)area, vessel density in the inner capillary plexus(ICP), superficial capillary plexus(SCP), deep capillary plexus(DCP), and choroidal capillary perfusion area(CCPA). Measurements were obtained preoperatively and at 1 and 3 mo postoperatively. Correlation analyses were performed between the above parameters and postoperative BCVA and CMT.RESULTS: This study enrolled 30 patients(60 eyes)diagnosed with IMEM, comprising 14 males and 16 females, with a mean age of 65.4±10.8 y.At baseline, IMEM-affected eyes demonstrated significantly reduced BCVA, DCP density, and FAZ area, alongside significantly increased CMT and CCPA, compared with contralateral controls. Following vitrectomy with membrane peeling, CMT decreased significantly at both 1 and 3 mo(both P<0.05)postoperatively; DCP density and BCVA showed significant improvement(both P<0.05). No significant change in FAZ area was observed postoperatively(P>0.05). At 3 mo postoperatively, BCVA of the affected eye was negatively correlated with CMT(r=-0.549, P=0.022). At 1 mo postoperatively, CMT was negatively correlated with preoperative DCP and FAZ, positively correlated with preoperative CMT, and positively correlated with ICP and SCP at 1 mo postoperatively, and negatively correlated with FAZ at 1 mo postoperatively(all P<0.05). Furthermore, CMT at 3 mo postoperatively was negatively correlated with preoperative DCP(r=-0.498,P=0.042).CONCLUSION:In patients with IMEM, the affected eyes exhibit significantly reduced DCP density and FAZ area, alongside increased CMT and CCPA. Following vitrectomy with membrane peeling, CMT decreased progressively, DCP density demonstrated partial restoration, and vision improved gradually. Preoperatively, smaller CMT larger DCP, and FAZ were associated with more favorable surgical outcomes; postoperatively, smaller ICP and SCP densities—combined with a larger FAZ—also correlated with better functional recovery.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the application effect of morphology driven preparation technique in indirect restoration of posterior teeth. Methods84 patients with dental defects were selected and divided into the control group and the experimental group randomly， with 42 patients in each group （a total of 84 teeth）. Traditional preparation and morphology driven preparation techniques were used to complete dental preparation and adhesive glass ceramic restorations， respectively. The satisfaction， masticatory function， World Dental Federation （FDI） Scores for edge fracture and fixation，edge adaptability index，periodontal bleeding index （BI） and plaque index （PLI） of the two groups of patients were evaluated and various indicator data were recorded and statistically analyzed at 3 and 6 months after restoration completion. ResultsThere was no statistically significant difference in satisfaction between the two groups after 3 and 6 months of repair； Both groups of data showed a significant improvement in masticatory function. There was no statistical difference after 3 and 6 months of repair. However， a statistically significant difference in masticatory function was noted after 6 months of repair compared with before and after 3 months of repair. As the repair time increased， the masticatory effect improved significantly. There was no statistically significant difference in the edge fracture and fixation index between the two groups at 3 months after repair， but there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups at 6 months with the experimental group outperforming the control group（P<0.05）. The edge adaptability， BI， and PLI index were statistically significant between the two groups after 3 and 6 months of repair and the experimental group had a significant advantage （P<0.05）. ConclusionBoth types of tooth preparation techniques can improve patient masticatory function and reach high satisfaction after repair. However， morphology driven preparation technique has significant advantages in edge adaptability， edge fracture and fixation index scores and improve periodontal conditions. This technique is an effective method for improving dental preparation in adhesive indirect restoration of posterior teeth.

ObjectiveTo analyze the genomic characteristics of Streptococcus pyogenes (GAS) isolated from children with respiratory tract infections in a tertiary hospital in Jinshan District of Shanghai during 2013‒2024, to compare the changes in trend for genomic characteristics before and after 2000, and to provide scientific data for the prevention and control of GAS infections. MethodsGAS strains isolated from children with respiratory tract infections in this hospital were collected from 2013 to 2024. Antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolated strains to 12 antibiotics, including penicillin, cefotaxime, cefepime, linezolid, vancomycin, meropenem, chloramphenicol, ofloxacin, levofloxacin, erythromycin, clindamycin, and tetracycline, was determined using broth microdilution plate method. Besides, whole genome sequencing (WGS) was used to analyze multilocus sequence type (MLST), emm typing, carriage of superantigen genes, mobile genetic element (MGE), carriage of virulence gene, and genomic phylogenetic tree of the isolated strains. ResultsA total of 50 GAS strains were collected and identified from children with respiratory tract infections aged 4‒14 years old, and the resistance rates of those isolates to erythromycin, clindamycin, and tetracycline were 100.00%, 100.00%, and 86.00%, respectively. There were two emm types in the GAS isolates; the emm12 type accounted for 76.00% (38/50), corresponding to ST36 type, and the emm1 type accounted for 24.00% (12/50), corresponding to ST28, ST1274, and new-1 types. There was a statistically significant difference in the constitution of the MLST before and after 2020 (P=0.015). All the isolates carried the superantigen genes speC, speG, ssa, and smeZ. The predominant emm12 isolates belonged to the Clade Ⅱ, carrying the mobile elements ICE-emm12 (harboring erythromycin-resistance gene ermB and tetracycline-resistance gene tetM) and ΦHKU.vir (carrying virulence genes speC and ssa). The emm1 isolates carried the mobile elements ICE-HKU488 (harboring erythromycin-resistance gene ermB and tetracycline-resistance gene tetM) and ΦHKU488.vir (carrying virulence genes speC and ssa), and had close phylogenetical relationships with isolates from Hong Kong, China. No M1_UK new clone strains were found. The ST1274 isolates of emm1 were newly discovered in 2020‒2024, and belonged to a separate phylogenetic clade. ConclusionGAS strains isolated from children with respiratory tract infections in a tertiary hospital in Jinshan District of Shanghai exhibit a high resistance to erythromycin, clindamycin, and tetracycline. It is recommended that the clinical treatments change to use other antimicrobial drugs, such as penicillin, third-generation cephalosporins, and fluoroquinolones. During 2020‒2024, a new ST1274 clone strain is discovered in emm1 GAS isolates, without M1_UK new clone strains being found. It is essential to continuously concern locally prevalent GAS strains and perform early identification of MLST types to promptly monitor the internal changes of the bacterial population and potential prevalence of new clones.

Objective To analyze the research status,hot directions and frontier trends of traditional Chinese medicine in the prevention and treatment of diseases by regulating Notch signaling pathway based on bibliometrics.Methods Based on Citespace and Vosviewer,the literature on the regulation of Notch signaling pathway by traditional Chinese medicine in CNKI and WoSCC was visually analyzed.Results 362 and 85 related literatures were published in Chinese and English respectively until January 2024.Since 2013,the number of literatures published in this field has shown a fluctuating increasing trend.China is the country with the most publications;Hunan University of Chinese Medicine were the institutions with the most publications in the Chinese database,and Beijing University of Chinese Medicine was the institution with the most publications in the English literature database.Combined with the research direction of each research team and keyword clustering and burst analysis,the research hotspots of traditional Chinese medicine regulating Notch signaling pathway are focused on cerebral ischemia,myelosuppression and hepatic fibrosis.Diseases such as Asthma,colorectal cancer have become emerging research directions in recent years.Electroacupuncture therapy to promote stem cell proliferation and treat neurological diseases is one of the frontier research trends in this field.Conclusion Recent years have seen a rapid development of traditional Chinese medicine's disease prevention and treatment that targets Notch signaling pathway.Various expert teams have obtained rich research results,and the research hotspots show a diversified trend.In-depth exploration of this can provide strong evidence for the molecular mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of various diseases.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy of naloxone in improving health-related quality of life in patients with chronic arsenic exposure-related pruritus, and to explore the modification effect of gene polymorphisms associated with arsenic metabolism and endorphin receptors.Methods:A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted between January and March 2019 in Changde City, Hunan Province, China. Eligible patients with moderate to severe chronic pruritus under arsenic exposure were recruited, and randomly assigned to the naloxone group and the control group to receive sublingual naloxone and placebo (0.4 mg/d) respectively for 7 consecutive days. Outcomes were assessed before treatment and on day 7 after treatment, including the primary outcome (the dermatology life quality index [DLQI]) and secondary outcomes (depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and quality of sleep). Genotyping of the arsenic (+3 oxidation state) methyltransferase and 3 opioid receptor genes was performed using ligase detection reaction. Data analysis was performed using t test for normally distributed continuous variables, non-parametric tests for skewed continuous variables, and chi-square test for categorical data. Linear regression analysis was carried out to evaluate the effect of naloxone on outcome measures, while the interactive effect of demographic factors, genotypes and treatment methods on changes in DLQI were assessed by the generalized linear model. Results:A total of 126 patients with chronic arsenic exposure-related pruritus were enrolled, including 73 males and 53 females. They were randomly divided into the control group (64 cases) and the naloxone group (62 cases), with the ages being 60.0 ± 9.1 years and 58.4 ± 8.6 years, respectively. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of age, gender, income, education levels, or hair arsenic concentrations (all P > 0.05). After treatment, the decrease in DLQI scores was significantly higher in the naloxone group than in the control group (-8.79 ± 6.84 vs. -5.19 ± 8.10; P = 0.008). However, there were no significant changes in depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, or quality of sleep between the naloxone group and control group (all P > 0.05). Linear regression analysis showed that naloxone significantly affected DLQI with a crude regression coefficient of -3.60 (95% CI: -6.25, -0.96; P = 0.008). Stratification analysis revealed that patients with the κ-opioid receptor gene rs1051660 (wild-type, CC) responded better to the treatment than those with the mutated genotype (CA), and there was a significant interaction between the rs1051660 genotype and therapeutic drugs in relation to DLQI changes ( P = 0.014) . Conclusion:Naloxone can effectively improve health-related quality of life in patients with chronic arsenic exposure-related pruritus, and its efficacy is modified by the gene polymorphism of the κ-opioid receptors.

Objective:To explore the position and length of anchor placement during the repair of anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) in adolescents with unclosed epiphyseal plates by measuring the relevant data in three-dimensional CT.Methods:A total of 100 three-dimensional CT images of adolescent patients with unclosed epiphyseal plates were collected from the database of the Radiology Center of Renhe Hospital Affiliated to China Three Gorges University from January 1, 2017 to January 1, 2024. There were 69 males and 31 females, aged 12.38±0.90 years (range, 11-14 years), 47 on the left side and 53 on the right side, with a height of 155.72±5.84 cm (range, 145-175 cm), a weight of 48.02±5.93 kg (range, 40-72 kg), and a body mass index (BMI) of 19.77±1.61 kg/m 2 (range, 17.69-24.91 kg/m 2). The built-in measurement tool of the picture archiving and communication system (PACS) was used to measure the angle (α) between the direction of the nail placement and the longitudinal axis of the fibula, the distance between the nail placement point and the posterior edge of the fibula ( d), and the height from the nail placement point to the level of the fibula tip ( h) to evaluate the position and length of the anchor placement. Results:In adolescent patients, α was 47.50°±3.28° (range, 40.00°-56.00°), d was 17.12±1.80 mm (range, 11.70-21.90 mm), and h was 5.21±1.17 mm (range, 3.40-7.90 mm). The α, d and h of male patients were 47.48°±3.13° (range, 42.00°-56.00°), 17.49±1.54 mm (range, 14.45-21.90 mm) and 5.25±1.07 mm (range, 3.70-7.90 mm), respectively. Those of female patients were 47.55°±3.66° (range, 40.00°-53.00°), 16.30±2.07 mm (range, 11.65-20.30 mm) and 5.07±1.56 mm (range, 3.40-7.00 mm), respectively. There was a significant difference in d between male and female patients ( t=3.193, P=0.002), but there was no significant difference in α and h ( t=0.098, P=0.922; t=0.296, P=0.770). Conclusions:The safe range of anchor placement during ATFL anatomical repair in adolescents with unclosed epiphyseal plates is about 3.40-7.90 mm above the tip of fibula and 56°-90° with the longitudinal axis of fibula. Male patients with unclosed epiphyseal plates should choose anchors with a length of 14 mm and shorter, while females should choose anchors with a length of 10.8 mm.

Objective To investigate the causal relationship between gut microbiota and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma(DLBCL).Methods Employed a two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization approach,using summary statistics from genome-wide association studies(GWAS)to extract single nucleotide polymor-phisms(SNPs)associated with exposure and outcome as instrumental variables.Exposure instrumental varia-bles(P＜1×10-5)and outcome instrumental variables(P＜5×10-8)were selected based on the P-values of SNPs.Three different Mendelian randomization methods were used to analyze the relationship between gut microbiota and DLBCL,with sensitivity analyses including heterogeneity,pleiotropy,and leave-one-out tests.Results Bilophila(OR=2.043,95%CI:1.279-3.264),Coprobacter(OR=1.371,95%CI:1.035-1.816),Eubacterium eligens group(OR=1.996,95%CI:1.291-3.087)increased the risk of DLBCL.Alistipes(OR=0.588,95%CI:0.359-0.963),Eubacterium eligens group(OR=1.996,95%CI:1.291-3.087),Slackia(OR=0.688,95%CI:0.479-0.988)reduced the risk of DLBCL.Reverse Mendelian randomization a-nalysis failed to reveal any evidence of a causal relationship between DLBCL and the six gut microbiota.Con-clusion There is a causal association between gut microbiota and DLBCL.

Objective To explore the role and mechanism of ferroptosis in vitamin D3(VD3)improving the cytotoxicity of keratinocytes(HaCaT cells)induced by nitrogen mustard(NM).Methods HaCaT cells were treated with gradient concentrations of NM(5,10,20,and 50 μmol/L)alone or in combination with ferroptosis inhibitor ferrostatin-1 or liproxstatin-1(10 μmol/L),Nrf2-specific agonist tBHQ(10 μmol/L),and VD3(10 nmol/L),respectively.After co-culture for 24 h,cell viability was assessed,and the intracellular contents of glutathione(GSH)and malondialdehyde(MDA)were measured.Additionally,the expression levels of Nrf2,xCT,and GPX4 were detected.Results NM exerted inhibitory effect on the proliferation of HaCaT cells in a dose-dependent manner,and the cell viability was reduced to approximately 55%at an NM concentration of 20 μmol/L(P<0.05).Ferroptosis inhibitors significantly mitigated the cytotoxic damage induced by NM in HaCaT cells(P<0.05),but activation of nuclear factor E2 related factor 2(Nrf2)markedly attenuated NM-induced ferroptosis,as indicated by the restoration of intracellular GSH level and the decrease in MDA content(P<0.05).VD3 specifically targeted the Nrf2 signaling pathway,upregulated the expression of xCT and GPX4 protein,thereby inhibiting ferroptosis and reducing NM-induced cytotoxicity in HaCaT cells.Conclusion VD3 mitigates NM-induced cytotoxicity in HaCaT cells by inhibiting ferroptosis via Nrf2 activation.

Although cisplatin is a widely used chemotherapeutic agent, it is severely toxic and causes irreversible hearing loss, restricting its application in clinical settings. This study aimed to determine the molecular mechanism underlying cisplatin-induced ototoxicity. Here, we established in vitro and in vivo ototoxicity models of cisplatin-induced hair cell loss, and our results showed that reducing STING levels decreased inflammatory factor expression and hair cell death. In addition, we found that cisplatin-induced mitochondrial dysfunction was accompanied by cytosolic DNA, which may act as a critical linker between the cyclic GMP-AMP synthesis-stimulator of interferon genes (cGAS-STING) pathway and the pathogenesis of cisplatin-induced hearing loss. H-151, a specific inhibitor of STING, reduced hair cell damage and ameliorated the hearing loss caused by cisplatin in vivo. This study underscores the role of cGAS-STING in cisplatin ototoxicity and presents H-151 as a promising therapeutic for hearing loss.
Cisplatin/toxicity* ; Animals ; Nucleotidyltransferases/antagonists & inhibitors* ; Membrane Proteins/antagonists & inhibitors* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Mice ; Hair Cells, Auditory, Inner/pathology* ; Antineoplastic Agents/toxicity* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Hearing Loss/metabolism* ; Male ; Ototoxicity/metabolism*