AIM:To evaluate the immediate effect of vocal training on tear film stability in patients with dry eye disease.METHODS:A prospective crossover controlled study. From April 1 to April 20, 2026, volunteers with mild-to-moderate dry eye [Ocular Surface Disease Index-6(OSDI-6)score: 4-8] were enrolled. Participants were randomly allocated into two groups to receive two interventions in different sequences. Group A underwent a 50-min standardized vocal training session during the first intervention, while Group B served as a blank control; The two groups crossed over to the alternative intervention for the second session, with a 1-week washout period between the two interventions. The immediate post-intervention changes in Dry Eye Symptoms Questionnaire(CDES-Q)score, pre-and post-intervention non-invasive tear film breakup time(NIBUT), including first NIBUT and average NIBUT, as well as tear meniscus height(TMH), were recorded for each session.RESULTS:A total of 32 eligible participants(64 eyes)were enrolled and completed the study per protocol. The participants were randomly assigned to two groups with different intervention sequences. Group A(16 participants, 32 eyes)comprised 3 males and 13 females, with a mean age of 61.69±4.56 y and a mean OSDI-6 score of 5.750±1.183. Group B(16 participants, 32 eyes)comprised 3 males and 13 females, with a mean age of 63.19±1.56 y and a mean OSDI-6 score of 5.250±1.438.There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between the two groups(P>0.05). After vocal training intervention, the net effect size for first NIBUT was 1.883 s(P=0.042), and for average NIBUT was 2.076 s(P=0.019). No significant change was observed in TMH(P=0.652). The CDES-Q score difference was -47.188(P<0.001). Further individual data analysis revealed that 59% of participants exhibited prolonged first NIBUT and 50% exhibited prolonged average NIBUT after vocal training.CONCLUSION: Vocal training can immediately improve tear film stability. This therapeutic approach shows promise for dry eye management and provides a reference for future large scale and long-term investigations.

Objective To summarize the clinical features and treatment strategies of acute mercury poisoning caused by intramuscular injection of metallic mercury. Methods The clinical data of a patient with acute mercury poisoning following intramuscular injection of metallic mercury were collected, and a retrospective analysis of the diagnosis and treatment process was conducted. Results The patient was a 14-year-old boy who self-injected 20 g of metallic mercury into the left upper arm muscle. Clinical manifestations included fever, chest tightness, cough, and a painful mass at the injection site. Laboratory tests of the patient indicated that blood mercury level was 4.160 μmol/L, urinary mercury level was 6 545.50 μg/g creatinine, urinary retinol-binding protein was 6 556 μg/L, urinary β₂-microglobulin was 8 726.48 μg/g creatinine, and urinary α1-microglobulin was 41.60 mg/L at day 11 after injection. Thoracoabdominal imaging revealed mercury deposition in the lungs, heart, liver, kidneys, and other organs. The patient's clinical symptoms were markedly relieved after one course of treatment with sodium dimercaptopropanesulfonate for mercury chelation. Subsequent treatment included continued mercury chelation therapy, debridement of muscle tissue at the injection site, removal of retained foreign bodies, and other supportive measures. Reexamination showed a blood mercury level of 2.810 μmol/L and urinary mercury level of 5 280 μg/L at day 127 after injection. Conclusion The clinical manifestations of intramuscular injection of metallic mercury poisoning differ from those of occupational mercury poisoning. Debridement of the injection site combined with sodium dimercaptopropanesulfonate chelation therapy can alleviate systemic symptoms and reduce mercury levels in such patients.

Objective To explore the efficacy and safety of a zanubrutinib-based combination regimen as first-line treatment for patients with B-cell chronic lymphoproliferative disorder (B-CLPD). Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on 26 patients with B-CLPD, including indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-iNHL), mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), and other unclassifiable B-CLPD, who were newly diagnosed and treated at the Department of Hematology, Zhongshan Hospital (Xiamen), Fudan University between January 2021 and January 2025. Patients were divided into two groups according to the treatment regimen: BR (bendamustine plus rituximab) and ZBR (zanubrutinib combined with BR regimen). Baseline characteristics, treatment responses, and the incidence of treatment-related adverse events (TRAE) were compared between the two groups. Results No statistically significant differences in baseline characteristics were observed between the two groups. All patients completed at least four cycles of treatment. There were no significant differences between the BR and ZBR groups in partial response rate (46.2% vs 53.8%), complete response rate (53.8% vs 15.4%), overall response rate (100.0% vs 84.6%), or TRAE incidence. After the first cycle, the lymphocyte count was higher in the ZBR group than in the BR group (P＝0.002); no other statistically significant differences in other hematologic parameters were observed at any treatment cycle. Conclusions In patients with B-iNHL, MCL, and other unclassifiable B-CLPD, the ZBR regimen demonstrates similar safety and response rates to the BR regimen. These findings support further investigation into the clinical value of ZBR as first-line treatment regimen in a limited course for indolent lymphoid malignancies.

BACKGROUND: Double-stranded RNA-specific adenosine deaminase 1 (ADAR1) binds to double-stranded RNA and catalyzes the deamination of adenosine (A) to inosine (I). The functional mechanism of ADAR1 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains incompletely understood. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic significance of ADAR1 in NSCLC and to elucidate its potential role in regulating tumor cell proliferation and migration. METHODS: Data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and cBioPortal were analyzed to assess the correlation between high ADAR1 expression and clinicopathological features as well as prognosis in lung cancer. We performed Western blot (WB), cell proliferation assays, Transwell invasion/migration assays, and nude mouse xenograft modeling to examine the phenotypic changes and molecular mechanisms induced by ADAR1 knockdown. Furthermore, the ADAR1 p150 overexpression model was utilized to validate the proposed mechanism. RESULTS: ADAR1 expression was significantly elevated in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) tissues compared with adjacent non-tumor tissues (LUAD: P=3.70×10-15, LUSC: P=0.016). High ADAR1 expression was associated with poor prognosis (LUAD: P=2.03×10-2, LUSC: P=2.81×10-2) and distant metastasis (P=0.003). Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) indicated that elevated ADAR1 was associated with mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK) pathway activation, matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) expression, and cell adhesion. ADAR1 and MMP-9 levels showed a strongly positive correlation (P=6.45×10-34) in 10 lung cancer cell lines, highest in H1581. Knockdown of ADAR1 in H1581 cells induced a rounded cellular morphology with reduced pseudopodia. Concomitantly, it suppressed cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and in vivo tumorigenesis. It also suppressed ERK phosphorylation and downregulated cellular Finkel-Biskis-Jinkins murine osteosarcoma viral oncogene homolog (c-FOS), MMP-9, N-cadherin, and Vimentin. Conversely, ADAR1 p150 overexpression in PC9 cells enhanced ERK phosphorylation and increased c-FOS and MMP-9 expression. CONCLUSIONS High ADAR1 expression is closely associated with poor prognosis and distant metastasis in NSCLC patients. Mechanistically, ADAR1 may promote proliferation, invasion, migration, and tumorigenesis in lung cancer cells via the ERK/c-FOS/MMP-9 axis.
Humans ; Lung Neoplasms/physiopathology* ; Adenosine Deaminase/genetics* ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9/genetics* ; Cell Proliferation ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/physiopathology* ; Cell Movement ; Animals ; Mice ; RNA-Binding Proteins/genetics* ; Female ; Male ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos/genetics* ; Middle Aged ; MAP Kinase Signaling System ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Mice, Nude ; Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases/genetics*

Objective To explore the clinical values of voxel-based morphometry(VBM)analysis in magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)for detecting secondary damage to the distant thalamus and substantia nigra in patients with cerebral infarction.Methods A total of nineteen patients with first-time unilateral middle cerebral artery(MCA)ischemic stroke were prospectively recruited.Three-dimensional whole-brain MRI scans were performed at 1 week,1 month,and 3 months after onset.VBM analysis was used to analyze changes in the thalamus and substantia nigra volumes.Results VBM analysis revealed that compared to ipsilateral thalamic volume at 1 week after onset,ipsilateral thalamic volume was significantly reduced at 1 month or 3 months after onset(reduced by 637 mm3 and 1488 mm3,respectively;P<0.01),with the atrophy primarily located in the dorsomedial nucleus of the thalamus.Similarly,compared to ipsilateral substantia nigra volume at 1 week after onset,the ipsilateral substantia nigra volume was significantly reduced at 1 month or 3 months after onset(reduced by 64 mm3 and 76 mm3,respectively;P<0.05).Conclusions VBM technology can be used to evaluate the ipsilateral thalamic and substantia nigra volume reduction in patients with cerebral infarction in the MCA supply area at 1-3 months after stroke,and to detect secondary damage.

Objective To investigate the effects of microgravity environment on hibernating myoblasts.Methods Hibernating myoblasts were cultured under real and simulated microgravity conditions for 10 days.RNA-seq analysis and immunofluorescence are used to analysis the impact of microgravity environment on cell growth and gene expression of myoblasts.Results Under the microgravity conditions,genes associated with proliferation were upregulated.Under simulated microgravity,there were more and higher proportion of Ki67 positive cells compared to normal gravity conditions.Conclusion The microgravity environment promotes the proliferation of hibernating myoblasts.

BACKGROUND: The switch/sucrose nonfermentable chromatin-remodeling (SWI/SNF) complex is a pivotal chromatin remodeling complex, and the genomic alterations (GAs) of the SWI/SNF complex are observed in several cancer types, correlating with multiple biological features of tumor cells. However, their role in liver metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains unclear. Our study aims to investigate the role and potential mechanisms underlying NSCLC liver metastasis induced by the GAs of SWI/SNF complex. METHODS: The GAs of SWI/SNF complex in NSCLC cell lines (H1299, H23 and H460) were identified by whole-exome sequencing (WES). ARID1A knockout H1299 cell was constructed with the CRISPR/Cas9 technology. The mouse model of liver metastasis from NSCLC was established to simulate lung cancer liver metastasis and observe the metastasis rate under different gene mutation conditions. RNA sequencing and Western blot were conducted for differential gene expression analysis. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis was used to assess protein expression levels of SWI/SNF-regulated target molecules in mouse liver metastases. RESULTS: WES analysis revealed intracellular gene mutations. The animal experiments demonstrated a correlation between the GAs of SWI/SNF complex and a higher liver metastasis rate in immunodeficient mice. Transcriptome sequencing and Western blot analysis showed upregulated expression of ALDH1A1 and APOBEC3B in SWI/SNF-mut cells, particularly in ARID1A-deficient H460 and H1299 sgARID1A cells. IHC staining of mouse liver metastases further demonstrated elevated expression of ALDH1A1 in the H460 and H1299 sgARID1A group. CONCLUSIONS This study underscores the critical role of the GAs of SWI/SNF complex, such as ARID1A and SMARCA4, in promoting liver metastasis of lung cancer cells. The GAs of SWI/SNF complex may promote liver-specific metastasis by upregulating ALDH1A1 and APOBEC3B expression, providing novel insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying lung cancer liver metastasis.
Animals ; Mice ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/genetics* ; Lung Neoplasms/genetics* ; Mutation ; Liver Neoplasms/genetics*

Objective:To investigate the work stress and its influencing factors among hospice care physicians and nurses in medical institutions in Shanghai.Methods:It was a cross-sectional study. The study was carried out between December 2021 and January 2022. By use of multistage random sampling, 256 hospice care physicians and nurses were selected from community healthcare centers, secondary and tertiary hospitals in Shanghai to attend a WeChat-based survey using a self-designed questionnaire. The chi-square test was used to compare the differences in prevalence of work stress and stressors among all subjects with different characteristics. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to explore the major determinants associated with work stress. And the sources of work stress and the expepectd decompression countermeasures were investigated.Results:A total of 256 valid questionnaires were collected with a recovery rate of 100.0%. The median of work stress score was 7.5 (6.0, 9.0). Logistic regression analysis showed that those aged>40 years old and working for ≥5 years in hospice care service had higher level of work stress ( OR=3.78, 2.04; P=0.007, 0.039), and those with monthly income>10 000 RMB Yuan had lower level of work stress ( OR=0.34, P=0.005). The top three stressors were the death of patients (88.3%, 226/256), low income (78.1%, 200/256), difficulty in promotion (67.2%, 172/256). The top three way that doctors and nurses desired to reduce work stress were to increase income (88.3%, 226/256) and optimize performance appraisal target (78.1%, 200/256) and promotion mechanism (66.0%, 169/256). Conclusions:In general, the work stress among hospice care physicians and nurses is at a high level in Shanghai and the stressors are widely distributed. Age, monthly salary and years of working in hospice care unit are independent factors of work stress. Improving salary, optimizing performance appraisal target and promotion mechanism are the most desired strategies to reduce work stress among hospice care physicians and nurses.

Objective:To survey the status quo of hospice care service in community health service centers in Shanghai.Methods:A questionnaire survey was conducted to investigate the situation of hospice care services from January 2021 to December 2021 in 16 community health service centers selected by stratified sampling from 16 districts in Shanghai.Results:Among 16 community health service centers, 13 provided inpatient hospice care services, 16 provide home hospice care and 14 provided outpatient hospice care services; and totally 1 935 (77.93%), 158 (6.36%) and 390 (15.71%) patients received palliative care, respectively. In centers providing inpatient hospice care service, the average bed number was 12 (10, 20); the annual number of patients was 58 (29, 137); the average length of hospital stay was (29.55±11.18) days; and the bed occupancy rate was (55.51±30.02)%, which in urban districts was significantly higher than that in rural districts ((74.76±19.33)% vs.(39.00±28.32)%; t=2.61, P=0.024). The number of patients receiving home hospice care in each center was 10 (3, 19) and the average duration of home service was (66.97±29.41) days. The proportion of physician fee of inpatient hospice care and that of home hospice care were (8.61±5.27)% and (6.25±3.11)%, respectively. While the proportion of medication expenses of inpatient hospice care and that of home hospice care were (35.60±16.13)% and(49.58±9.16)%, respectively. The outpatient hospice service were opened 2.0 (1.0, 4.0) days a week in 14 centers and 95 (58, 199) patients received services. Inpatient services were mainly provided for the patients with non-malignant chronic diseases (53.23%, 1 030/1 935), while home hospice care (89.87%, 142/158) and outpatient hospice care (83.85%, 327/390) mainly provided service for malignant patients. Conclusion:There is still room for improvement about the hospice care services delivered by community health service centers in Shanghai:discrepancy of utilization of hospice care services between urban districts and rural districts, low utilization of home and outpatient hospice care services, unreasonable cost composition in inpatient and home hospice care services.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical value of NG-Test Carba5 for rapid detection of carbapenemases produced by carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) strains. Methods:A total of 1 210 CRE strains were collected during 2018-2022 from 77 hospitals in 21 provinces of China and were subjected to NG-Test Carba5 for rapid detection of carbapenemase. The whole genome sequencing (WGS) analysis was referenced as the gold standard method.Results:Overall, the NG-Test Carba5 demonstrated excellent performance in detection of five kinds of carbapenemases [Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC), New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM), imipenemase metallo-β-lactamase (IMP), Verona integron-encoded metallo-beta-lactamase (VIM) and oxacillinase-48-type carbapenemases(OXA-48)] from CRE strains, with a sensitivity of 98.47% (1 161/1 179), specificity of 100% (31/31), and positive predictive value of 100% (1 161/1 161). The sensitivity for detection of NDM, IMP, OXA and VIM reached 100% (307/307), and 97.70% (763/781) for KPC. For 11 strains carrying blaKPC-25, blaKPC-78, or blaKPC-93, NG-Test Carba5 reported positive KPC detection (11/11). For strains carrying blaKPC-33 and blaKPC-77, however, NG-Test Carba5 delivered negative results. Additionally, for those strains co-producing two or three kinds of carbapenemases, NG-Test Carba5 was able to report all of the targets with a sensitivity of 100% (91/91). Conclusions:NG-Test Carba5 showed excellent performance in rapid and accurate detection of carbapenemases from CRE strains. Nonetheless, for those strains with negative results, some other phenotypic and genotypic methods should be implemented alongside to avoid missing targets.