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 analyze the changes in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration(nAMD)before and after treatment with faricimab or ranibizumab.Methods A prospective study was conducted on 20 nAMD patients(20 eyes)who received treatment at the Ophthalmology Department of Wuhu Hospital affiliated with East China Normal University.nAMD was diagnosed with fluorescein fundus angiography,indocyanine green angiography,and optical coherence tomography(OCT).The central macular thickness(CMT),choroidal neovascularization(CNV)cross-sectional area(CSA),and CNV blood flow area(CFA)of the patients at baseline and after 4,12,and 24 weeks of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)treatment.The changes in index at different time periods and the differences in results between the two groups were studied.Results There were no statistically significant differences in age,gender,CNV type,OCT,and optical coherence tomography angiography(OCTA)morphology between the two groups of patients at baseline(all P＞0.05).CMT,CSA,and CFA decreased in both groups after treatment(all P＜0.05).CMT showed a gradual decrease in both groups after 4 and 12 weeks of treatment(all P＜0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in CMT between 12 and 24 weeks after treatment in the faricimab group(P=0.096).In the ranibizumab group,CMT increased 24 weeks after treatment,compared with that 12 weeks after treatment(P=0.004).CSA and CFA de-creased in both groups after 12 weeks of treatment(both P＜0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in CSA and CFA between 12 and 24 weeks after treatment in the faricimab group(P=0.085,0.095).In the ranibizumab group,CSA and CFA increased 24 weeks after treatment,compared with those 12 week after treatment(P=0.001,0.000).Inter-group comparisons showed that the CMT of patients in the faricimab group was lower than that in the ranibizumab group af-ter 24 weeks of treatment(P=0.022).There was no statistically significant difference in CSA and CFA at each time period for both groups(all P＞0.05).Conclusion Faricimab and ranibizumab have similar efficacy in the treatment of nAMD patients,but faricimab is superior to ranibizumab in sustained effects.

Objective To analyze the changes in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration(nAMD)before and after treatment with faricimab or ranibizumab.Methods A prospective study was conducted on 20 nAMD patients(20 eyes)who received treatment at the Ophthalmology Department of Wuhu Hospital affiliated with East China Normal University.nAMD was diagnosed with fluorescein fundus angiography,indocyanine green angiography,and optical coherence tomography(OCT).The central macular thickness(CMT),choroidal neovascularization(CNV)cross-sectional area(CSA),and CNV blood flow area(CFA)of the patients at baseline and after 4,12,and 24 weeks of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)treatment.The changes in index at different time periods and the differences in results between the two groups were studied.Results There were no statistically significant differences in age,gender,CNV type,OCT,and optical coherence tomography angiography(OCTA)morphology between the two groups of patients at baseline(all P＞0.05).CMT,CSA,and CFA decreased in both groups after treatment(all P＜0.05).CMT showed a gradual decrease in both groups after 4 and 12 weeks of treatment(all P＜0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in CMT between 12 and 24 weeks after treatment in the faricimab group(P=0.096).In the ranibizumab group,CMT increased 24 weeks after treatment,compared with that 12 weeks after treatment(P=0.004).CSA and CFA de-creased in both groups after 12 weeks of treatment(both P＜0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in CSA and CFA between 12 and 24 weeks after treatment in the faricimab group(P=0.085,0.095).In the ranibizumab group,CSA and CFA increased 24 weeks after treatment,compared with those 12 week after treatment(P=0.001,0.000).Inter-group comparisons showed that the CMT of patients in the faricimab group was lower than that in the ranibizumab group af-ter 24 weeks of treatment(P=0.022).There was no statistically significant difference in CSA and CFA at each time period for both groups(all P＞0.05).Conclusion Faricimab and ranibizumab have similar efficacy in the treatment of nAMD patients,but faricimab is superior to ranibizumab in sustained effects.

Objective To investigate the mechanism of icariin regulating the NLRP3 inflammasome in the treatment of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.Methods A rat model of focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion was induced using the thread embolism method.At 24 hours post-operation,the rats were randomly allocated into a sham operation group,model group,butylphthalide group(70 mg/kg),ICA-low dose(20 mg/kg),ICA-middle dose(40 mg/kg),and ICA-high dose(80 mg/kg)groups.The corresponding drugs were administered by gavage at 10 mL/kg once a day for 13 consecutive days.One hour after the last administration,neurological function was scored.The cerebral cortex was observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining.Expression of interleukin(IL)-1β and IL-18 in the cerebral cortex was determined by immunohistochemistry.Expression of NLRP3,ASC,and Caspase-1 in the cerebral cortex was determined by Western Blot.Results In contrast to the sham operation group,there was a notable increase in neural function scores within the model group.The ischemic area around the visible cerebral cortex showed neuron necrosis at various level or glial cell proliferation,and the number of intact neurons was significantly reduced.IL-1β and IL-18 positive cells were significantly increased.Expression of NLRP3,ASC,and Caspase-1 was significantly increased(P＜0.01,P＜0.05).After treatment with icariin,the neural function score was decreased significantly.The degree of neuronal necrosis in the peri-ischemic area was significantly reduced,and the number of intact neurons was significantly increased.IL-1 β and IL-18-positive cells were decreased significantly.Expressions of NLRP3,ASC,and Caspase-1 were significantly decreased(P＜0.01,P＜0.05).Conclusions Treatment of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury by icariin may be related to regulation of the NLRP3 inflammasome.

Background Exposure to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) during pregnancy might affect thyroid-related hormone levels in pregnant women. However, most previous studies focused on the effects of PFAS containing 8-10 carbon atoms, and few studies have estimated the associations between PFAS with longer carbon chain and thyroid-related hormone levels. Objective To examine the associations between PFAS exposure and thyroid-related hormones in pregnant women. Methods The present study was based on the Jiashan Birth Cohort from September 2016 to April 2018. We analyzed 13 PFAS in maternal blood samples (n=781) by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, as well as total triiodothyronine (T3), total thyroxine (T4), free T3 (FT3), free T4 (FT4), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroglobulin antibody (TG-Ab), and thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. PFAS were divided into three groups:low concentration, medium concentration and high concentration according to the tertile of their concentrations. We estimated the associations between PFAS concentrations and thyroid-related hormones in pregnant women by multiple linear regression. Results In the multiple linear regression models, a change in perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA) concentrations from the low concentration group to the high concentration group was associated with a −0.10 (95%CI: −0.20, 0) nmol·L⁻¹ change in T3, −0.15 (95%CI: −0.28, −0.02) pmol·L⁻¹ change in FT3, and −3.02 (95%CI: −5.66, −0.39) pmol·L⁻¹ change in FT4, respectively. A change in perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA) concentrations from the low concentration group to the high concentration group was associated with a −0.10 (95%CI: −0.20, 0) nmol·L⁻¹ change in T3. Compared with the low concentration group, the concentration of T4 in the medium concentration group of perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) increased by 6.10 (95%CI: 0.44, 11.75) nmol·L⁻¹. No statistically significant associations were found between PFAS and TSH concentration. The negative associations of PFAS with thyroid-related hormones were more pronounced in pregnant women with positive TG-Ab and/or TPOAb. Conclusion Exposure to PFAS during pregnancy may affect thyroid-related hormone homeostasis in pregnant women, and the effect is stronger in TG-Ab and/or TPOAb-positive pregnant women.

Glioma is a highly aggressive malignant tumor of the central nervous system that necessitates active treatment through surgery,radiotherapy,and chemotherapy.However,the prognosis of high-grade gliomas[World Health Organization(WHO)classification of central nervous system tumorsgrade Ⅲ-Ⅳ]remains poor,thus new treatment strategies are urgently needed.Oncolytic virus(OV)therapy is a kind of immunotherapy that can specifically infect and effectively kill tumor cells while activating anti-tumor immunity.The oncolytic herpes simplex virus(oHSV)is expected to emerge as a new adjuvant treatment for glioma due to its unique advantages.This article reviews the current understanding of oHSV,the anti-tumor mechanism of OV,the current clinical research status of oHSV targeted therapy for glioma,the research progress of oHSV collaborative anti-tumor strategy,and the existing problems in oHSV anti-glioma research,aiming to provide valuable insights for the treatment of glioma.

OBJECTIVE：To study the effects and active ingr edients of Tibetan medicine Lamiophlomis rotata against rheumatoid arthritis （RA）. METHODS ：Fifty-six SD rats were randomly divided into normal control group （0.5％ sodium carboxymethylcellulose），model group （0.5％ sodium carboxymethylcellulose ），methotrexate group （positive control group ，3 mg/kg），L. rotata water extract low-dose ，medium-dose and high-dose groups （0.5，1，2 g/kg，by crude drug ），L. rotata total flavonoid group （200 mg/kg，by flavonoid extat ），with 8 rats in each group. Except for normal control group ，other groups were given Freund ’s complete adjuvant （FCA）on the rat ’s right hind footpad to induce adjuvant-induced arthritis model. The next day after injection of FCA ，rats in all groups were given relevant medicine intragastrically ，once a day （once every 3 days for methotrexate group ）for 30 days. At 15th and 30th day of administration ，the degree of paw swelling of left hind foot was measured，and the arthritis index ，spleen index were calculated. At the end of 30th day of administration ，the levels of TNF-α，IL-1β， IL-6 and IL- 10 in rat serum were determined by ELISA assay ，the thymus index and spleen index were calculated ，the pathological changes of the ankle joints were observed by HE staining. RESULTS ：Compared with normal control group ，degree of paw swelling，arthritis index at 15th and 30th day of administration as well as the spleen index and the levels of TNF-α，IL-1β， msxmX0146） IL-6 in serum at 30th day of administration were significantly com increased in model group （P＜0.01）；while the thymus indexyunbinji- and IL- 10 level at 30th day of administration were ang@swu.edu.cn significantly decreased（P＜0.01）；synovial cell proliferation and infiltration of articular cavity were observed in ankle joint. Compared with model group ，degree of paw swelling ，arthritis index at 15th and 30th day of administration as well as the spleen index and the levels of TNF-α，IL-1β，IL-6 in serum at 30th day of administration were significantly decreased in each medicine group （P＜0.01）；while the thymus index and IL- 10 level at 30th day of administration were significantly increased （P＜0.01）；the pathological changes of arthritis were significantly improved. Compared with L. rotata water extract high-dose group ，there were no significant differences in degree of paw swelling at 15th day of administration as well as the arthritis index ，spleen index ，levels of inflammatory cytokines and pathological changes of ankle joint in L. rotata total flavonoid group （P＞0.05）. CONCLUSIONS ：Tibetan medicine L. rotata shows well anti-RA activity ，and total flavonoids may be the active ingredients of its efficacy.

As a green and economic emerging technology, biological desulfurization is popular. However, biological desulfurization is inhibited by organosulfur in the treatment gases which cannot be ignored. This article summarizes relevant studies on the influence of organosulfur on biological desulfurization in recent years, including the types and physicochemical characteristics of organosulfur, the influence of organosulfur on the desulfurization process, the reaction mechanism of organosulfur, the interplay between organosulfur and some operating conditions, and species of microorganisms that are tolerant to organosulfur. Methods for mitigating the effect of organosulfur on the desulfurization process are discussed, to provide references for the stable and efficient operation of biological desulfurization.

The fovea avascular area (FAZ) is an area of the retina surrounded by a continuous capillary plexus that does not have any capillary structure of its own. FAZ is an important region for the formation of fine vision function. The changes of its morphology and surrounding capillary density reflect the degree of macular ischemia, and are closely related to retinal vascular diseases such as diabetic retinopathy, retinal vein occlusion, Coats disease, idiopathic macular telangiectasia, and retinopathy of prematurity. Early observation of FAZ region changes in patients with retinal vascular disease by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) can evaluate the severity and prognosis of the disease. However, the measurement error of FAZ-related data is still a problem that cannot be ignored. At present, OCTA devices of various manufacturers have different methods and algorithms for measuring and analyzing FAZ, which makes it impossible to compare the measured data between different devices. It is believed that with the continuous progress of OCTA related technology, more accurate data of FAZ regional changes can be obtained, which will bring more help to clinical work.

Biological desulfurization is a process in which sulfur compounds are removed from gas and oil using microorganisms. It is a simple process that has mild operating conditions, high desulfurization efficiency, low energy consumption and less environmental pollution. However, there is still a lack of simple and efficient analytical methods for quantitatively analyzing the sulfur compounds in the biological desulfurization process. In order to solve this problem, the analytical method for the simultaneous determination of sulfite, thiosulfate and sulfide in biological desulfurization solutions by pre-column fluorescence derivation using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was developed. The standard curves of sulfur species in this analytical method had good linear relationships with correlation coefficients of 0.999 5, 0.999 7, and 0.999 7 for sulfite, thiosulfate and sulfide, respectively. The detection limits of these sulfur compounds were 0.000 6, 0.000 7 and 0.001 1 μmol/L; the range of recovery rates were 98.17 to 101.9%, 100.9 to 102.6%, and 101.1 to 104.2%; which had good repeatability and stability. The analytical method was simple, efficient and accurate, and could be used to simultaneously determine the sulfur compounds in different biological desulfurization systems.
Chemistry Techniques, Analytical/methods* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Sulfur Compounds/analysis*