Ecoflex is a commercial designation for elastomers developed based on the principles of environmental sustainability and flexibility. Various manufacturers offer different types of Ecoflex products with distinct compositions and functions. Among these, the platinum-catalyzed silicone rubber Ecoflex series has demonstrated considerable applicability in various fields of oral medicine due to its excellent flexibility, biocompatibility, stability across a wide temperature range, and tunable mechanical properties. In tissue engineering, it can simulate the mechanical behavior of oral mucosa, and is used in cleft lip surgical training models and preoperative evaluation for temporal bone defect reconstruction. In the field of wearable devices, leveraging its encapsulation protection and flexible characteristics, highly sensitive sensors constructed from Ecoflex can monitor signals such as oral bite force and masticatory muscle activity, thereby aiding in the diagnosis of temporomandibular joint disorders and postoperative evaluation of cleft lip and palate. Moreover, when combined with bio-waste materials, it promotes the functionalization and sustainability of oral wearable devices.In drug delivery systems, its conformability and controlled-release capability address challenges in localized oral drug administration. Designs such as flexible microneedles and temperature-responsive composite systems provide precise solutions for treating periodontitis and oral ulcers. In minimally invasive surgical instruments, its softness enables the development of soft robots and magnetically controlled microfluidic valves, enhancing surgical safety and precision. In the field of oral rehabilitation, Ecoflex soft liner materials, inspired by the suction cup structure of octopus tentacles, improve denture retention. Their low modulus reduces mucosal irritation, ensuring both comfort and durability. Although Ecoflex shows great potential in biomedical applications, it still faces certain challenges, particularly regarding long-term stability after implantation, mechanical fatigue resistance, and microbial colonization, which require further investigation. In the future, with advancements in 3D printing technology, Ecoflex is expected to achieve more precise clinical translation across multiple fields and drive innovation in intelligent biomaterials.

Objective To investigate the effects of acteoside in a rat model on of diabetic nephropathy(DN)and high-glucose-induced glomerular mesangial cells(GMCs),focusing on the role of acteoside in the silent information regulator 1(SIRT1)/nuclear factor eryth-roid 2-related factor 2(Nrf2)signaling pathway.Methods GMCs were cultured under normal glucose conditions or stimulated with high glucose.Fibrosis,oxidative stress,SIRT1 and Nrf2 protein expression,and mitochondrial structure were assessed in four groups:normal glucose,high glucose,high glucose+acteoside,and high glucose+acteoside+SIRT1 inhibitor(hsa62).DN was induced in rats via intraperitoneal streptozotocin injection,and animals were divided into control,model,and acteoside-treated groups.Pathological kidney changes,blood glucose changes,renal function indices,and protein expression of SIRT1 and Nrf2 were evaluated.Results Compared with controls,DN model rats showed significantly elevated fasting blood glucose,serum creatinine,blood urea nitrogen,and 24-h urinary protein levels of rats in the model group were significantly increased(P＜0.01).GMCs exhibited increased fibrosis,oxidative stress,and mitochondrial damage.Acteoside treatment significantly improved all measured parameters(P＜0.01);and mitigated mitochondrial injury.In vitro,acteoside reduced high-glucose-induced fibrosis and oxidative stress in GMCs,effects that were reversed by SIRT1 inhibition.Western blotting confirmed upregulation of SIRT1 and Nrf2 expression in both treated rat kidney tissues and GMCs(P＜0.01).Conclusion Acteoside alleviates glomerular fibrosis and oxidative stress in DN by activating the SIRT1/Nrf2 signaling pathway,suggesting its potential therapeutic agent for DN.

Objective:To analyze effects of T11TS in the treatment of Cryptococcus neoformans fungal infection and the regula-tion of T-cell calcineurin(CaN)-activated T lymphoid nuclear factor(NFAT)pathway.Methods:SD rats infected with Cryptococcus neoformans were treated with immunoenhancer T11TS.Flow cytometry,Western blot and nuclear translocation were used to detect the changes of T cell function and related signal pathway.Results:The number of Cryptococcus neoformans in lung and spleen of CT3 group was significantly less than Cryptococcus neoformans infection group,CT1 group and CT2 group(P<0.05).The results of flow cy-tometry showed that the expression levels of LCK,FYN,LAT,PLCγ1,CaN,NFAT and IL-2 in Cryptococcus neoformans infection group were significantly lower than control group(P<0.05).The expression levels of LCK,FYN,LAT,PLCγ1,CaN,NFAT and IL-2 of CT1,CT2 and CT3 groups were significantly higher than Cryptococcus neoformans infection group(P<0.05).The results of Western blot were similar to those of flow cytometry.Conclusion:T11TS in the treatment of Cryptococcus neoformans infection can enhance the immunity of the body by up-regulating the expression of related signal factors in the CaN-NFAT pathway of T lymphocytes,increasing the expression of NFAT and IL-2,stimulating the activation and proliferation of T lymphocytes.

Objective To investigate the effects of acteoside in a rat model on of diabetic nephropathy(DN)and high-glucose-induced glomerular mesangial cells(GMCs),focusing on the role of acteoside in the silent information regulator 1(SIRT1)/nuclear factor eryth-roid 2-related factor 2(Nrf2)signaling pathway.Methods GMCs were cultured under normal glucose conditions or stimulated with high glucose.Fibrosis,oxidative stress,SIRT1 and Nrf2 protein expression,and mitochondrial structure were assessed in four groups:normal glucose,high glucose,high glucose+acteoside,and high glucose+acteoside+SIRT1 inhibitor(hsa62).DN was induced in rats via intraperitoneal streptozotocin injection,and animals were divided into control,model,and acteoside-treated groups.Pathological kidney changes,blood glucose changes,renal function indices,and protein expression of SIRT1 and Nrf2 were evaluated.Results Compared with controls,DN model rats showed significantly elevated fasting blood glucose,serum creatinine,blood urea nitrogen,and 24-h urinary protein levels of rats in the model group were significantly increased(P＜0.01).GMCs exhibited increased fibrosis,oxidative stress,and mitochondrial damage.Acteoside treatment significantly improved all measured parameters(P＜0.01);and mitigated mitochondrial injury.In vitro,acteoside reduced high-glucose-induced fibrosis and oxidative stress in GMCs,effects that were reversed by SIRT1 inhibition.Western blotting confirmed upregulation of SIRT1 and Nrf2 expression in both treated rat kidney tissues and GMCs(P＜0.01).Conclusion Acteoside alleviates glomerular fibrosis and oxidative stress in DN by activating the SIRT1/Nrf2 signaling pathway,suggesting its potential therapeutic agent for DN.

Objective:To investigate ferroptosis-related genes in pterygium tissue by using bioinformatic analysis.Methods:The pterygium gene expression profile dataset GSE2513 was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus Database to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to ferroptosis.Functional annotation and enrichment analysis of the DEGs were performed using Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG).Hub genes were identified from the DEGs using LASSO logistic regression analysis and a support vector machine recursive feature elimination (SVM-REF).Single-gene GSEA analysis was performed on hub genes and a competitive endogenous RNA interaction network was constructed to determine the RNA regulatory relationships of the hub genes.Pterygium tissue samples from 9 patients (9 eyes) undergoing pterygium surgery and conjunctival tissue samples from 9 patients (9 eyes) undergoing strabismus surgery who visited the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University were collected from 2022 to 2023 during surgery, and the expression of hub genes and ferroptosis-related marker genes was detected by fluorescence quantitative PCR.This study followed the Declaration of Helsinki, and the study protocol was reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University (No.2022-KY-0006-001).Results:In the dataset, there were 37 ferroptosis-related genes with significant expression differences, including 16 upregulated genes and 21 downregulated genes.GO analysis revealed significant enrichment in responses to external stimuli, responses to nutritional levels, responses to extracellular stimuli, responses to oxidative stress and starvation, transcription regulatory complexes, and RNA polymerase Ⅱ transcription regulatory complexes, RNA polymerase Ⅱ-specific transcription, and DNA-binding transcription.KEGG analysis showed that the DEGs were primarily enriched in ferroptosis and NOD-like receptor signaling pathways.LASSO regression analysis identified DUOX2, ATF3, NDRG1, EGR1, and ALDH3A2 as hub genes, and SVM-REF analysis identified NDRG1, NF2, IDH2, DUOX2, CHP1, ATF3, and SREBF1 as hub genes. DUOX2, ATF3, and NDRG1 were identified as the intersection hub genes.Single-gene GSEA analysis revealed that DUOX2 was enriched in the cell adhesion molecule CAMs pathway, the heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycan biosynthesis pathway, and the glycosaminoglycan biosynthesis ganglioside series pathway. ATF3 and NDRG1 were enriched in the PPAR signaling pathway and other pathways.Compared with normal conjunctival tissue, the relative expression levels of the ferroptosis markers PTGS2 and TFRC mRNA were increased in pterygium tissue, while the relative expression levels of FTH1, GPX4, SLC40A1, HSPB1, and NFE2L2 mRNA were decreased, with statistically significant differences ( t=12.220, 16.580, 5.664, 6.455, 8.691, 9.883, 17.590; all P<0.01). Conclusions:Ferroptosis may play an important role in the pathogenesis of pterygium. DUOX2, ATF3, and NDRG1 may be the hub genes affecting this complicated process.

Objective:To analyze effects of T11TS in the treatment of Cryptococcus neoformans fungal infection and the regula-tion of T-cell calcineurin(CaN)-activated T lymphoid nuclear factor(NFAT)pathway.Methods:SD rats infected with Cryptococcus neoformans were treated with immunoenhancer T11TS.Flow cytometry,Western blot and nuclear translocation were used to detect the changes of T cell function and related signal pathway.Results:The number of Cryptococcus neoformans in lung and spleen of CT3 group was significantly less than Cryptococcus neoformans infection group,CT1 group and CT2 group(P<0.05).The results of flow cy-tometry showed that the expression levels of LCK,FYN,LAT,PLCγ1,CaN,NFAT and IL-2 in Cryptococcus neoformans infection group were significantly lower than control group(P<0.05).The expression levels of LCK,FYN,LAT,PLCγ1,CaN,NFAT and IL-2 of CT1,CT2 and CT3 groups were significantly higher than Cryptococcus neoformans infection group(P<0.05).The results of Western blot were similar to those of flow cytometry.Conclusion:T11TS in the treatment of Cryptococcus neoformans infection can enhance the immunity of the body by up-regulating the expression of related signal factors in the CaN-NFAT pathway of T lymphocytes,increasing the expression of NFAT and IL-2,stimulating the activation and proliferation of T lymphocytes.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical equivalence between a domestic calcipotriol/betamethasone dipropionate ointment and the originator product in the treatment of stable plaque psoriasis.Methods:A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, three-arm, parallel-group, active- and placebo-controlled study was conducted, and 449 patients aged 18 - 65 years with stable plaque psoriasis were enrolled from 25 hospitals (such as the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University). Eligible patients had a baseline physician's global assessment (PGA) score of ≥ 3 points, baseline body surface area (BSA) involvement of 5% - 30%, and a target lesion psoriasis area and severity index (TL-PASI) for plaque elevation of ≥ 3 points. Participants were randomly assigned in a 2:2:1 ratio to the test group ( n = 179), reference group ( n = 180), and placebo group ( n = 90), and applied the domestic calcipotriol/betamethasone dipropionate ointment, originator product, and ointment base respectively, once daily in the evening for 4 weeks. Efficacy and safety were assessed at weeks 1, 2, and 4. The primary efficacy endpoints were the treatment success rates and clinical success rates in each group at week 4. The per-protocol set (PPS) was used for the primary efficacy analysis, and the intention-to-treat (ITT) set for supplementary efficacy analysis. Equivalence between the test and reference preparations was tested using the Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel method adjusted for randomization strata. Superiority of the test and reference preparations over the placebo was also tested. Measurement data were compared among the 3 groups using analysis of variance or non-parametric tests, while treatment success rates, clinical success rates, and incidence rates of adverse reactions were compared using the chi-square test. Results:The ITT, PPS, and safety sets included 447, 420, and 448 patients, respectively. In the ITT set, patients were aged 43.6 ± 12.8 years, including 320 (71.6%) males and 127 (28.4%) females, and the disease duration was 11.21 ± 9.05 years; 316 (70.7%) had a PGA score of 3 points and 131 (29.3%) had a PGA score of 4 - 5 points. No significant differences in the baseline characteristics (including age, sex, disease duration and disease severity) were observed among the 3 groups (all P > 0.05). Based on the PPS analysis, the treatment success rates were 57.9% (99/171) in the test group, 50.3% (86/171) in the reference group, and 7.7% (6/78) in the placebo group, and the clinical success rates were 57.9% (99/171), 50.3% (86/171), and 10.3% (8/78), respectively; both the test and reference groups were superior to the placebo group in both treatment and clinical success rates (all P < 0.001) ; the rate differences for treatment success (90% confidence interval [ CI]: -1.3% - 16.4%) and clinical success (90% CI: -1.3% - 16.3%) between the test and reference groups were entirely within the pre-defined equivalence margin (-20% - 20%). Subgroup analyses by baseline PGA scores: for patients with a baseline PGA score of 3 points, the treatment success rates in the test, reference, and placebo groups were 60.8% (73/120), 52.1% (62/119), and 11.1% (6/54), respectively, and the corresponding clinical success rates were 61.7% (74/120), 53.8% (64/119), and 13% (7/54), respectively; the test and reference groups did not differ significantly in treatment or clinical success rates (both P > 0.05), but both showed higher success rates than the placebo group (all P < 0.001) ; the results of statistical comparisons among the 3 groups in patients with a baseline PGA score of 4 - 5 points were consistent with those observed in patients with a baseline PGA score of 3 points. The percentage reductions in PGA and TL-PASI scores from baseline to weeks 1, 2, and 4 showed significant differences among the 3 groups, which were significantly higher in the test and reference groups than in the placebo group (all P < 0.001), but did not differ between the test and reference groups (all P > 0.05). The primary adverse reactions were local skin reactions, such as pruritus, pain, and erythema. The incidence rates of adverse reactions were 8.9% (16/179) in the test group, 7.3% (13/179) in the reference group, and 7.8% (7/90) in the placebo group, with no significant difference among the 3 groups ( P > 0.05) . Conclusions:The domestic calcipotriol/betamethasone dipropionate ointment demonstrated clinical equivalence to the originator product in the treatment of stable plaque psoriasis, and the two agents exhibited comparable efficacy for patients with varying degrees of disease severity, and were comparable in the speed and degree of clinical improvement, with similar favorable safety profiles.

Objective:To investigate ferroptosis-related genes in pterygium tissue by using bioinformatic analysis.Methods:The pterygium gene expression profile dataset GSE2513 was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus Database to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to ferroptosis.Functional annotation and enrichment analysis of the DEGs were performed using Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG).Hub genes were identified from the DEGs using LASSO logistic regression analysis and a support vector machine recursive feature elimination (SVM-REF).Single-gene GSEA analysis was performed on hub genes and a competitive endogenous RNA interaction network was constructed to determine the RNA regulatory relationships of the hub genes.Pterygium tissue samples from 9 patients (9 eyes) undergoing pterygium surgery and conjunctival tissue samples from 9 patients (9 eyes) undergoing strabismus surgery who visited the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University were collected from 2022 to 2023 during surgery, and the expression of hub genes and ferroptosis-related marker genes was detected by fluorescence quantitative PCR.This study followed the Declaration of Helsinki, and the study protocol was reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University (No.2022-KY-0006-001).Results:In the dataset, there were 37 ferroptosis-related genes with significant expression differences, including 16 upregulated genes and 21 downregulated genes.GO analysis revealed significant enrichment in responses to external stimuli, responses to nutritional levels, responses to extracellular stimuli, responses to oxidative stress and starvation, transcription regulatory complexes, and RNA polymerase Ⅱ transcription regulatory complexes, RNA polymerase Ⅱ-specific transcription, and DNA-binding transcription.KEGG analysis showed that the DEGs were primarily enriched in ferroptosis and NOD-like receptor signaling pathways.LASSO regression analysis identified DUOX2, ATF3, NDRG1, EGR1, and ALDH3A2 as hub genes, and SVM-REF analysis identified NDRG1, NF2, IDH2, DUOX2, CHP1, ATF3, and SREBF1 as hub genes. DUOX2, ATF3, and NDRG1 were identified as the intersection hub genes.Single-gene GSEA analysis revealed that DUOX2 was enriched in the cell adhesion molecule CAMs pathway, the heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycan biosynthesis pathway, and the glycosaminoglycan biosynthesis ganglioside series pathway. ATF3 and NDRG1 were enriched in the PPAR signaling pathway and other pathways.Compared with normal conjunctival tissue, the relative expression levels of the ferroptosis markers PTGS2 and TFRC mRNA were increased in pterygium tissue, while the relative expression levels of FTH1, GPX4, SLC40A1, HSPB1, and NFE2L2 mRNA were decreased, with statistically significant differences ( t=12.220, 16.580, 5.664, 6.455, 8.691, 9.883, 17.590; all P<0.01). Conclusions:Ferroptosis may play an important role in the pathogenesis of pterygium. DUOX2, ATF3, and NDRG1 may be the hub genes affecting this complicated process.

Objective To investigate the effect of dexmedetomidine combined with ropivacaine on postop-erative sleep quality in patients undergoing upper abdominal surgery following Oblique Subcostal Transversus Abdominis Plane Block(OSTAPB).Methods A total of 140 patients who underwent gastric surgery at the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University between September 2024 and November 2024 were enrolled.According to the random number table method,they were randomly allocated into two groups:the simple subcostal transversus abdominis plane block group(Group A)and the dexmedetomidine combined with subcostal transversus abdominis plane block group(Group B),with 70 patients in each group.The study compared the Asymptomatic Sleep Distur-bance Scale(AIS)scores and Self-rating Anxiety Scale(SAS)scores on the night before surgery,AIS scores on the night after surgery and the following day,the amount of remifentanil used during surgery,and the cumulative num-ber of patient-controlled analgesia(PCA)button presses within 3 days postoperatively.Additionally,the Numeric Rating Scale(NRS)pain scores at 2 h,6 h,12 h,24 h,and 48 h post-surgery,as well as the Quality of Recovery-15(QoR-15)scores on the night of surgery and the second day post-surgery,were evaluated.Results There were no significant differences in anxiety levels or subjective sleep quality scores between the two groups prior to the opera-tion(P>0.05).Additionally,there was no significant difference in the usage of remifentanil between Group A and Group B(P>0.05).The NRS scores for pain differed significantly between the two groups within the first 48 hours post-operation(P<0.05);however,no significant difference was observed in NRS scores between the two groups after 24 hours during rest.Furthermore,the number of patient-controlled analgesia(PCA)activations in Group B was significantly lower than that in Group A at 12 hours post-operation(P<0.05).Lastly,both the QoR-15 and sleep quality were significantly higher in Group B compared to Group A(P<0.05).Conclusion Dexmedetomidine combined with ropivacaine for subcostal transversus abdominis plane block not only provides superior postoperative analgesia compared to ropivacaine alone but also enhances patients' sleep quality and recovery quality on the night following surgery,thereby contributing to improved overall postoperative recovery.