AIM: To investigate the influence of pterygium thickness and area on corneal refractive status.METHODS: Prospective longitudinal study. A total of 60 cases(60 eyes)of pterygium patients admitted to our hospital from January 2024 to September 2024 were randomly selected. All patients underwent pterygium excision combined with pedicle conjunctival flap transplantation for treatment. Optical coherence tomography(OCT)was used to measure the preoperative thickness of patient's pterygium, and a digital slit lamp microscope was used to measure the area of pterygium. The corneal refractive status(degree of corneal astigmatism and average curvature)and changes in uncorrected visual acuity of patients before surgery, 1 d, 1, and 3 mo after surgery were compared. The relationship between preoperative thickness and area of pterygium in patients and corneal refractive status indicators at different postoperative time points were analyzed, and Logistic regression was used to analyze the impact of pterygium thickness and area on postoperative visual improvement in patients.RESULTS: All patients completed follow-up after surgery for 3 mo. At 3 mo after surgery, visual acuity improved in 21 eyes(35%). The results of bivariate Pearson correlation analysis showed that the thickness and area of pterygium positively correlated with the degree of corneal astigmatism and uncorrected visual acuity before surgery and 1 d, 1, and 3 mo after surgery(all P<0.05), and negatively correlated with the average corneal curvature before surgery and 1 d, 1, and 3 mo after surgery(all P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that the thickness and area of pterygium before surgery, high degree of corneal astigmatism, and low uncorrected visual acuity(large LogMAR value)were all risk factors for poor postoperative visual improvement in patients(OR>1, P<0.05). The large average corneal curvature before surgery was a protective factor for poor postoperative visual improvement in patients(OR<1, P<0.05).CONCLUSION: The increase in thickness and area of pterygium can, to some extent, improve corneal astigmatism, reduce the average curvature of the cornea, and affect postoperative visual recovery.

Objective To observe the association of the changes in monocyte to high density lipo-protein cholesterol ratio(MHR)and thromboxane B2(TXB2)with risk of left atrial appendage thrombus(LAAT)in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation(AF).Methods A retrospective study was conducted on 152 elderly AF patients admitted in our hospital from May 2022 to May 2024.According to the results of transesophageal echocardiography,they were divided into thrombus group(46 cases)and non-thrombus group(106 cases).Blood MHR and TXB2 levels were measured and calculated,and the predictive efficacy of MHR and TXB2 levels for the risk of LAAT was analyzed.Results The thrombus group had older age,larger left atrial diameter(LAD),higher monocyte count,and larger proportion of persistent AF(P＜0.01),while lower LVEF and HDL-C levels when compared with the non-thrombus group(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).The MHR and TXB2 level were significantly higher in the thrombus group than those in non-thrombus group(P＜0.01).Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that age(OR=1.244,95％CI:1.022-1.466,P=0.028),persistent AF(OR=29.290,95％CI:4.573-187.610,P=0.000),LAD(OR=1.502,95％CI:1.203-1.876,P=0.000),MHR(OR=1.115,95％CI:1.055-1.178,P=0.000)and TXB2(OR=1.064,95％CI:1.031-1.097,P=0.000)were risk fac-tors for LAAT in elderly AF patients,and LVEF(OR=0.813,95％CI:0.707-0.935,P=0.004)was a protective factor.ROC curve analysis suggested that the AUC value of MHR and TXB2 in evaluating the risk of LAAT in elderly AF patients was 0.767 and 0.829,respectively.Conclusion MHR and TXB2 are abnormally elevated in elderly AF patients with LAAT.They are risk factors affecting the occurrence of LAAT,and have certain predictive value for the risk of LAAT.

Objective To explore the characteristics of the interaction between nirmatrelvir/ritonavir or ritonavir and tacrolimus,and to provide a reference for the safe clinical use of these medication.Methods Case reports related to the combination of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir,ritonavir,and tacrolimus were retrieved from PubMed,Embase,CNKI,Wanfang,and VIP databases up to June 2023.Statistical analysis was conducted on baseline blood concentration,baseline creatinine,tacrolimus dosage,nirmatrelvir/ritonavir usage,and tacrolimus blood concentration under the combination of medication.Results A total of 10 patients,who used nirmatrelvir/ritonavir and tacrolimus were identified from 9 articles,including 5 males and 5 females,the minimum age of 14 years old and the maximum age of 76 years old,average age(47.5±20.1)years.Among these patients,6 cases had kidney transplantation,3 cases had heart transplantation,and 1 case had lung transplantation.Six literature articles on the combination of ritonavir and tacrolimus were included,with a total of 6 cases,including 4 males and 2 females,aged 52 to 58 years,with an average age of(54.5±2.5)years.There were 3 cases of kidney transplantation with HIV,1 case of kidney transplantation with HCV,1 case of liver transplantation with HIV,1 case of orthotopic heart transplantation with HIV.Nirmatrelvir/ritonavir significantly increased tacrolimus concentration,and the extent of increase vary depending on the medication situation.The highest increase was 35.8 fold,while the remaining increases ranged from 2.7 to 14.0 fold,the average was 10.7 fold.All 10 patients experienced varying degrees of creatinine elevation,including two cases of toxic metabolic encephalopathy and one case of liver damage due to rifampicin rescue.Four patients were rescued by phenytoin sodium,and two were rescued by rifampicin.All patients recovered well after clinical treatment.The combination of ritonavir and tacrolimus can also lead to varying degrees of increase in tacrolimus concentration.Conclusions Ritonavir significantly increases the blood concentration of tacrolimus.After discontinuation of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir,tacrolimus concentration should be monitored to guide the dose adjustments for safe reactivation.

Objective To explore the abnormal expression of the MT-ND family in pan-cancers and its prognostic value.Methods Transcriptome expression and clinical data of 33 cancers were downloaded from the TCGA database,thereby analyzing the expression differences of the MT-ND family in tissuesof different types of cancers and normal tissues.The prognostic role of the MT-ND family in pan-cancers was explored by univariate Cox regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis.Results The expression of the MT-ND family was upregulated in the kidney chromophobe,acute myeloid leukemia and thymoma,and downregulated in the remaining tumors.The expression of the MT-ND family was associated with the overall survival rate of different types of cancers.In addition,the MT-ND family were significantly correlated with the immune invasion subtypes,and were correlated with stromal cell invasion and tumor cell stemness to varying degrees.The expression of MT-ND4 was downregulated in brain lower grade glioma,which was a protective factor for prognosis;while the expression of MT-ND4 in thymoma was upregulated,which was a risk factor for prognosis.Conclusion Pan-cancer analysis has confirmed that the MT-ND family can predict the tumor prognosis,which provides new ideas and strategies for the precision treatment and prognostic management of cancer.

Objective:To design and develop a cone-beam CT imaging system for small animals with continuously adjustable spatial resolution.Methods:The imaging system used an X-ray source with a focal spot size of 30 μm and a flat panel detector with a pixel size of 100 μm. On this premise, a " stepping-focusing-rotating" image acquisition mode was proposed, in which the " focusing" and " stepping" systems were sequentially embedded in the " rotating" system. In this acquisition mode, the X-ray source and flat panel detector were relatively stationary to form the " focusing" system. When the " stepping" system accurately transported the object to the scanning position, the " focusing" system could achieve adjustable spatial resolution by making linear motion around the object to be scanned according to different experimental requirements. Finally the " rotating" system achieve high-quality imaging.Results:The variable spatial resolution of small animal CBCT ranges from 35.7 μm to 71.4 μm, and the FOV ranges from 39.6 mm to 108.0 mm. The conversion time for the limit spatial resolution is 19.125 s, which allowed accurate 3D reconstruction of normal mice at different resolutions with high reproducibility.Conclusions:A cone-beam CT suitable for small animals has been developed, whose spatial resolution and FOV can be adjusted arbitrarily within a certain range, which can meet the different imaging requirements in rodent experiments.

With the rapid development of generative artificial intelligence(GAI)technologies,their widespread application in academic research and writing is continuously expanding the boundaries of sci-entific inquiry.However,this trend has also raised a series of ethical and regulatory challenges,inclu-ding issues related to authorship,content authenticity,citation accuracy,and accountability.In light of the growing involvement of AI in generating academic content,establishing an open,controllable,and trustworthy ethical governance framework has become a key task for safeguarding research integrity and maintaining trust within the academic community.This expert consensus outlines ethical requirements across key stages of AI-assisted academic writing-including topic selection,data management,citation practices,and authorship attribution.It aims to clarify the boundaries and ethical obligations surrounding AI use in academic writing,ensuring that technological tools enhance efficiency without compromising in-tegrity.The goal is to provide guidance and institutional support for building a responsible and sustainable research ecosystem.

Objective To screen genes associated with poor prognosis of colorectal cancer(CRC)through bioinformatics analysis.Methods The gene expression profiles of GSE74602,GSE110223,GSE113513 and GSE141174 were obtained from Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)database,including samples from 65 CRC tissues and 65 normal tissues.Differentially expressed genes(DEGs)between CRC tissues and normal tissues were screened out by GEO2R tool and Venn software,and the consistent genes were extracted from DEGs by Venn software.A protein-protein interaction(PPI)network was constructed by the STRING database to identify key genes,which were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier Plotter and GEPIA.Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes(KEGG)pathway enrichment analysis was conducted on the 13 selected genes.Results There were 171 DEGs obtained from the four datasets,including 148 up-regulated genes and 23 down-regulated genes.Up-regulated DEGs were enriched in the redox processes,bicarbonate transport,digestion,ion trans-membrane transport,and one-carbon metabolism;and down-regulated DEGs were enriched in the positive regulation of cell proliferation.The survival curve analysis showed that 30 of the 87 genes were significantly associated with poor survival prognosis.GEPIA showed that 13 of the 30 genes were highly expressed in CRC tissues compared to normal tissues,among which MYC and FGFR3 markedly enriched in the CRC pathway.Conclusion This study identifies that MYC and FGFR3 are significantly up-regulated in CRC and closely associated with poor prognosis,suggesting that they may serve as potential prognostic markers and therapeutic targets for CRC patients.

Objective To screen genes associated with poor prognosis of colorectal cancer(CRC)through bioinformatics analysis.Methods The gene expression profiles of GSE74602,GSE110223,GSE113513 and GSE141174 were obtained from Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)database,including samples from 65 CRC tissues and 65 normal tissues.Differentially expressed genes(DEGs)between CRC tissues and normal tissues were screened out by GEO2R tool and Venn software,and the consistent genes were extracted from DEGs by Venn software.A protein-protein interaction(PPI)network was constructed by the STRING database to identify key genes,which were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier Plotter and GEPIA.Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes(KEGG)pathway enrichment analysis was conducted on the 13 selected genes.Results There were 171 DEGs obtained from the four datasets,including 148 up-regulated genes and 23 down-regulated genes.Up-regulated DEGs were enriched in the redox processes,bicarbonate transport,digestion,ion trans-membrane transport,and one-carbon metabolism;and down-regulated DEGs were enriched in the positive regulation of cell proliferation.The survival curve analysis showed that 30 of the 87 genes were significantly associated with poor survival prognosis.GEPIA showed that 13 of the 30 genes were highly expressed in CRC tissues compared to normal tissues,among which MYC and FGFR3 markedly enriched in the CRC pathway.Conclusion This study identifies that MYC and FGFR3 are significantly up-regulated in CRC and closely associated with poor prognosis,suggesting that they may serve as potential prognostic markers and therapeutic targets for CRC patients.

Objective To observe the association of the changes in monocyte to high density lipo-protein cholesterol ratio(MHR)and thromboxane B2(TXB2)with risk of left atrial appendage thrombus(LAAT)in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation(AF).Methods A retrospective study was conducted on 152 elderly AF patients admitted in our hospital from May 2022 to May 2024.According to the results of transesophageal echocardiography,they were divided into thrombus group(46 cases)and non-thrombus group(106 cases).Blood MHR and TXB2 levels were measured and calculated,and the predictive efficacy of MHR and TXB2 levels for the risk of LAAT was analyzed.Results The thrombus group had older age,larger left atrial diameter(LAD),higher monocyte count,and larger proportion of persistent AF(P＜0.01),while lower LVEF and HDL-C levels when compared with the non-thrombus group(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).The MHR and TXB2 level were significantly higher in the thrombus group than those in non-thrombus group(P＜0.01).Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that age(OR=1.244,95％CI:1.022-1.466,P=0.028),persistent AF(OR=29.290,95％CI:4.573-187.610,P=0.000),LAD(OR=1.502,95％CI:1.203-1.876,P=0.000),MHR(OR=1.115,95％CI:1.055-1.178,P=0.000)and TXB2(OR=1.064,95％CI:1.031-1.097,P=0.000)were risk fac-tors for LAAT in elderly AF patients,and LVEF(OR=0.813,95％CI:0.707-0.935,P=0.004)was a protective factor.ROC curve analysis suggested that the AUC value of MHR and TXB2 in evaluating the risk of LAAT in elderly AF patients was 0.767 and 0.829,respectively.Conclusion MHR and TXB2 are abnormally elevated in elderly AF patients with LAAT.They are risk factors affecting the occurrence of LAAT,and have certain predictive value for the risk of LAAT.

Although clinical evidence suggests that nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is an established major risk factor for heart failure, it remains unexplored whether sleep disorder-caused hepatic damage contributes to the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Here, our findings revealed that sleep fragmentation (SF) displayed notable hepatic detrimental phenotypes, including steatosis and oxidative damage, along with significant abnormalities in cardiac structure and function. All these pathological changes persisted even after sleep recovery for 2 consecutive weeks or more, displaying memory properties. Mechanistically, persistent higher expression of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase 4 (NOX4) in the liver was the key initiator of SF-accelerated damage phenotypes. SF epigenetically controlled the acetylation of histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27ac) enrichment at the Nox4 promoter and markedly increased Nox4 expression in liver even after sleep recovery. Moreover, fine coordination of the circadian clock and hepatic damage was strictly controlled by BMAL1-dependent Sirtuin 1 (Sirt1) transcription after circadian misalignment. Accordingly, genetic manipulation of liver-specific Nox4 or Sirt1, along with pharmacological intervention targeting NOX4 (GLX351322) or SIRT1 (Resveratrol), could effectively erase the epigenetic modification of Nox4 by reducing the H3K27ac level and ameliorate the progression of liver pathology, thereby counteracting SF-evoked sustained CVD. Collectively, our findings may pave the way for strategies to mitigate myocardial injury from persistent hepatic detrimental memory in diabetic patients.