AIM: To assess the impact of optimized pulsed technology(OPT)on the morphological and functional changes of meibomian glands in patients with meibomian gland dysfunction(MGD).METHODS: This prospective case-control study enrolled 60 MGD patients(60 right eyes)treated at Weifang Eye Hospital from September 2023 to February 2024. Patients were categorized into mild, moderate, and severe groups based on the extent of meibomian gland loss, with 20 cases(20 eyes)per group. Treatments consisted of bilateral OPT combined with meibomian gland massages, administered biweekly over four sessions. Ocular surface function indicators including the ocular surface disease index(OSDI), corneal fluorescein staining(CFS), non-invasive average tear break-up time(NIBUTav), and non-invasive tear meniscus height(NITMH), as well as meibomian gland function parameters such as meibomian gland expressibility score(MGES)and meibomian gland secretion score(MGYSS)were observed and recorded before treatment and at 3 mo after final treatment. Cellular-level assessments using in vivo confocal microscopy(IVCM)examined meibomian gland acinar unit density(MGAUD), inflammatory cell density(ICD), meibomian gland acinar longest diameter(MGALD)and meibomian gland acinar shortest diameter(MGASD).RESULTS: At baseline, no significant differences were found in NITMH across groups(P>0.05). Statistical significance were observed in NIBUTav, MGES, MGYSS, MGAUD, MGALD, and MGASD(all P<0.05). Compared to the mild group, the moderate and severe groups showed significant differences in OSDI, CFS, and ICD(all P<0.05), though no significant differences existed between moderate and severe groups(all P>0.05). At 3 mo after treatment, all groups showed no significant differences in NITMH(all P>0.05). All parameters improved significantly in the mild group(all P<0.05); all indicators improved in the moderate group(P>0.05), except for MGASD before and after treatment(all P<0.05); significant improvements were noted in OSDI, CFS, and NIBUTav in the severe group(all P<0.05), while MGES and MGYSS did not differ significantly(all P>0.05). IVCM parameters(MGAUD, ICD, MGALD, and MGASD)showed no significant change in the severe group(all P>0.05).CONCLUSION:OPT effectively enhances various ocular surface functions and improves gland expressibility and secretion quality in mild to moderate MGD cases, while also positively impacting certain cellular parameters. In severe cases, where most acinar functions are lost and structural reversibility is limited, OPT can still mitigate MGD symptoms and decelerate disease progression.

Colorectal tumorigenesis generally progresses from adenoma to adenocarcinoma, accompanied by dynamic changes in the tumor microenvironment (TME). A randomized controlled trial has confirmed the efficacy and safety of Shen-Bai-Jie-Du decoction (SBJDD) in preventing colorectal tumorigenesis. However, the mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we employed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to investigate the dynamic evolution of the TME and validated cell infiltration with multiplex immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry. Bulk RNA sequencing was utilized to assess the underlying mechanisms. Our results constructed the mutually verifiable single-cell transcriptomic atlases in Apc ^Min/+ mice and clinical patients. There was a marked accumulation of CCL22⁺ dendritic cells (DCs) and an enhanced immunosuppressive action, which SBJDD and berberine reversed. Combined treatment with cholesterol and lipopolysaccharide induced characteristic gene expression of CCL22⁺ DCs, which may represent "exhausted DCs". Intraperitoneal injection of these DCs after SBJDD treatment eliminated its therapeutic effects. TMEM131 derived CCL22⁺ DCs generation by TNF signaling pathway and may be a potential target of berberine in retarding colorectal tumorigenesis. These findings emphasize the role of exhausted DCs and the regulatory mechanisms of SBJDD and berberine in colorectal cancer (CRC), suggesting that the multi-component properties of SBJDD may help restore TME homeostasis and offer novel cancer therapy.

Objective To Explore the effect of expression of peroxidase reductase 4(PRDX4)on cervi-cal lymph node metastasis in oral squamous cell carcinomas(OSCC)and its relationship with prognosis.Methods Using bioinformatics databases to explore the expression,prognosis analysis,and related pathway prediction of PRDX4 gene in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.At the same time,clinical and pathologi-cal data including cervical lymph node metastasis were collected from 124 OSCC patients,the expression of PRDX4 was detected in 124 OSCC tissues using immunohistochemical experimental methods.Results Analy-sis of online bioinformatics databases showed that PRDX4 was highly expressed in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and significantly correlated with tumor grade.The immunohistochemical results showed that the occurrence of cervical lymph node metastasis was significantly correlated with the intensity of PRDX4 stai-ning in 124 OSCC cases studied,and high expression of PRDX4 was an independent risk factor for cervical lymph node metastasis in OSCC(P=0.010).The staining intensity of PRDX4 was significantly correlated with the presence of multiple lymph node metastasis(P=0.020)and the the maximum diameter of lymph node metastasis(P=0.031),but not related to the invasion of lymph nodes outside the membrane.Survival a-nalysis showed that strong PRDX4 positivity was significantly correlated with poor disease-free survival(DFS)rate and overall survival(OS)rate in OSCC patients.Conclusion OSCC patients with strong expres-sion of PRDX4 have a higher incidence of cervical lymph node metastasis and a poorer prognosis.

Objective To investigate the correlation of sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ATPase 2a(SERCA2a)and blood urea nitrogen(BUN)to albumin(ALB)ratio(BAR)with cardiac function and prognosis in patients with chronic heart failure(CHF).Methods A total of 200 CHF patients admitted to this hospital from January 2021 to January 2023 were selected as the CHF group and 100 healthy people un-dergoing physical examination as the control group.CHF patients were divided into class Ⅰ group(38 cases),class Ⅱ group(40 cases),class Ⅲ group(54 cases)and class Ⅳ group(68 cases)according to the New York Heart Association(NYHA)cardiac function classification after admission.According to the prognosis,they were divided into poor prognosis group(60 cases)and good prognosis group(140 cases).Serum SERCA2a BUN,ALB levels were measured and BAR was calculated.Spearman rank correlation coefficient was used to analyze the correlation between serum SERCA2a,BAR and NYHA cardiac function classification in CHF pa-tients.Taking the prognosis of CHF patients as the dependent variable,a multivariate unconditional Logistic regression model was established to determine its influencing factors.Receiver operating characteristic curve was drawn to evaluate the predictive value of serum SERCA2a and BAR for poor prognosis of CHF patients.Results Compared with the control group,the serum SERCA2a level was decreased and BAR was increased in the CHF group(P＜0.05).The level of SERCA2a in class Ⅰ group,class Ⅱ group,class Ⅲ group and classⅣ group decreased and BAR increased successively(P＜0.05).The NYHA classification was negatively cor-related with serum SERCA2a level(rs=-0.756,P＜0.05),and positively correlated with BAR(rs=0.722,P＜0.05).After 1-year follow-up,the incidence of poor prognosis in 200 CHF patients was 30.00％(60/200).Increased NYHA class(OR=1.936,95％CI:1.115-3.364),atrial fibrillation(OR=3.269,95％CI:1.078-9.913),N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide(OR=1.002,95％CI:1.001-1.009)and BAR(OR=1.169,95％CI:1.082-1.263)were independent risk factors for poor prognosis in patients with CHF(P＜0.05),increased left ventricular ejection fraction(OR=0.810,95％CI:0.716-0.916)and SERCA2a(OR=0.964,95％CI:0.947-0.981)were independent protective factors(P＜0.05).The area under the curve of serum SERCA2a combined with BAR to predict the poor prognosis of CHF patients was 0.865(95％CI:0.810-0.910),which was larger than 0.784(95％CI:0.720-0.839)and 0.777(95％CI:0.713-0.833)predicted by serum SERCA2a and BAR levels alone,and the difference was statistically significant(Z=2.944,3.250,P＜0.05).Conclusion The decrease of SERCA2a and the increase of BAR are closely re-lated to cardiac function and prognosis in patients with CHF.Serum SERCA2a combined with BAR has a higher value in predicting poor prognosis in patients with CHF.

Objective To observe the effects of auricular point sticking on chronic soft tissue injury of knee joint caused by military training.Methods A total of 77 patients with chronic soft tissue injury of the knee caused by military training admitted to No.901 Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force from January to November 2022 were enrolled in this study.Auricular point sticking therapy was applied in all the patients.Visual analogue scale(VAS)score,the range of motion of the knees and knee temperature were recorded before and after treatment.Results The VAS score was 6.10±1.23,3.03±0.95,and 2.70±0.93 before treatment,15 min and 24 h after treatment,respectively.The VAS score after treatment were significantly lower than that before treatment(P<0.01).The range of motion of the knees was(79.08±11.59)°,(104.79±8.49)°,and(108.08±9.36)° before treatment,15 min and 24 h after treatment,respectively.The knee flexion after treatment were significantly higher than that before treatment(P<0.01).The knee temperature at 15 min after treatment was significantly higher than that before treatment([30.68±1.38]℃vs.[29.30±1.41]℃,P<0.01).Conclusion Auricular point sticking can reduce the pain of patients with chronic soft tissue injury of the knee and increase the range of joint motion.It is safe and simple and has good compliance.

Objective To examine the effect of patient-centered care services on compliance to treatment among patients with multidrug-resistant (MDR) or rifampicin-resistant (RR) pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB), so as to provide the scientific evidence for promoting the widespread application of the appropriate nursing process of MDR/RR-PTB patients in the hospital. Methods The MDR/RR-PTB patients that were definitely diagnosed at the Sixth People’s Hospital of Nantong City during the period from January 2017 to October 2020 were enrolled. The patients with confirmed diagnosis of MDR/RR-PTB during the period January 2017 to December 2018 served as controls, who were given routine care in the hospital, and those with confirmed diagnosis of MDR/RR-PTB during the period January 2019 to October 2020 served as the care group, who were given patient-centered personalized care services, including one-to-one consultations, periodic group activities, informatization case management, and personal reminder for return visits. The proportion of inclusion into treatment, loss to follow-up, return visits and sputum examinations were compared between the care and control groups. Results A total of 104 MDR/RR-PTB patients were included, including 54 cases in the control group and 50 cases in the care group. There was no significant difference in gender and age distribution between the two groups (χ² = 3.013, 1.336, P > 0.05). The proportion of inclusion into treatment was higher in the care group (100.00%, 50/50) than in the control group (87.04%, 47/54) (P = 0.013), and the proportion of loss to follow-up was lower in the care group (0, 0/43) than in the control group (19.05%, 8/42) (P = 0.002). In addition, the overall proportion of return visits was higher in the care group (93.09%, 377/405) than in the control group (83.56%, 371/444) (χ² = 18.345, P < 0.001), and the proportion of sputum examinations was higher in the care group was (83.70%, 339/405) than in the control group (79.28%, 352/444) (χ² = 2.737, P = 0.098). Conclusion Patient-centered care services facilitate the improvements in the proportion of inclusion into treatment and compliance to treatment and reduction in the proportion of loss to follow-up among MDR/RR-PTB patients, which deserves widespread applications.

Objective:To analyze the role of dandelion and mulberry leaf in the progression of acute myeloid leukemia(AML)by network pharmacology,and to clarify the active components and their mechanisms in treating AML.Methods:The active components of dandelion and mulberry leaf were screened by Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP).The targets were predicted by SwissTargetPrediction Database.The AML-related genes and protein targets were retrieved from the SymMap Database,the GeneCards Human Gene Database,the DisGeNET Database,and the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man(OMIM)Database.The AML-related genes and target genes of dandelion and mulberry leaf were compared by comparative analysis and were identify by the enrichment genes,followed by Gene Ontology(GO)functional enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)signaling pathway enrichment analysis.The drug-active component-target network and protein-protein interaction(PPI)network were constructed by Cytoscape 3.8.0 software,and the core genes were selected by CytoNCA plugin;the molecular docking was conducted by AutoDock software.Results:After filtering by databases,39 active components were identified,and 148 common targets between dandelion-mulberry leaf and AML were collected.The GO functional enrichment analysis mainly involved cytokine-mediated signaling pathways,positive regulation of kinase activity,and oxidative stress responses.The KEGG signaling pathway enrichment analysis focused on the phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase/protein kinase B(PI3K-AKT)signaling pathway,the tumor necrosis factor(TNF)signaling pathway,and the Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription(JAK-STAT)signaling pathway.The key targets were identified by topological analysis including signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3),epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR),protein kinase B1(AKT1),recombinant human epidermal growth factor(EGF),vascular endothelial growth factor A(VEGFA),oncogene MYC,tumor protein P53(TP53),mitogen-activated protein kinase 3(MAPK3),cysteiny asparate specific protease-3(CASP3),oncogene SRC,heat shock protein 90 alpha family class A member 1(HSP90AA1),tenascin XB1(CTNNB1),phosphoinositide kinase-3 catalytic subunit alpha(PIK3CA),interleukin 6(IL-6),TNF,mitogen-activated protein kinase 1(MAPK1),and phosphatidylinositide kinase-3 regulatory subunit 1(PIK3R1).The molecular docking results showed the highest affinity pairing to be taraxerol with MYC(-8.74 kcal·mol-1),and quercetin,kaempferol,luteolin,and artemetin demonstrated good binding affinities with various targets.Conclusion:The main active components of dandelion-mulberry leaf,such as quercetin,taraxerol,kaempferol,luteolin,and artemetin,may exert the anti-AML effect by regulating AKT1,STAT3,HSP90AA1,IL-6,and MAPK1;regulation the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway may be the critical mechanism of anti-AML effect by dandelion-mulberry leaf.

A retrospective analysis was conducted on data of 13 patients with rectal or anal canal lesions involving the dentate line who underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) at the Digestive Endoscopy Center of Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine from January 2022 to July 2023. The efficacy and safety of ESD were evaluated. ESD was performed on 14 lesions in 13 patients. The lesions had a length of 1.4 to 12.5 cm and 5.4 cm in average, which were removed entirely in a single session, with an R0 resection rate of 92.31% (12/13). The ESD procedure duration ranged from 35 to 225 minutes, with an average of 88.3 minutes. Anal canal stenosis occurred in 1 case after ESD, which was improved after treatment with anal dilatation. No delayed bleeding, perforation, or other complications occurred. Pathological examination after ESD revealed 6 tubulovillous adenoma, 2 tubular adenoma, 3 tubular adenocarcinoma, and 2 squamous epithelial intraepithelial neoplasia (both 2 lesions were combined with human papillomavirus infection). In one case of tubular adenocarcinoma, the local resection margin showed focal tubulovillous adenoma, while the other cases were negative on lateral margins around and basal margins. The median follow-up period was 7.0 months (range 2 to 13 months), with no local residue, recurrence or metastasis observed. ESD is safe and effective for early rectal or anal canal lesions involving the dentate line, and is worthy of clinical promotion and application.

Background Tributyl phosphate (TBP) is widely used as an organophosphate flame retardant. However, there are limited studies on the toxicity of TBP to aquatic organisms at low levels of exposure. Objective To investigate the effects of TBP on early development of zebrafish (Danio rerio). Methods Zebrafish embryos were randomly divided into four groups at 2 h post-fertilisation (2 hpf), namely, the 0.01% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) control group and TBP exposure groups (0.02, 0.2 and 2 μg·L⁻¹). The exposure time was from 2 hpf to 120 hpf and the hatching rate, malformation rate, heart rate and body length of zebrafish embryos at 72 hpf, the frequency of tail curling at 24-29 hpf, the locomotor ability at 96 hpf and the survival rate at 120 hpf were evaluated, respectively. The whole-body triiodothyronine (T₃) and tetraiodothyronine (T₄) levels of juvenile fish were measured by enzyme immunoassay at the end of the infection, and the expression levels of hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis (HPT) and neurodevelopmental-related genes were detected by quantitative real-time PCR (q-PCR). Results The heart rates of zebrafish embryos were significantly decreased in all TBP-treated groups (P<0.001), the survival rates of the 0.02 and 2 μg·L⁻¹ TBP groups were significantly decreased (P<0.05), and the malformation rate of the 2 μg·L⁻¹ treated group was significantly increased (P<0.05), which was mainly manifested by pericardial oedema. The frequency of tail curling of zebrafish embryos in all groups reached the highest at 25 hpf, which was significantly lower (P<0.001) in all exposure groups than in the control group (P<0.001). In the locomotor behaviour experiments, the swimming speed of zebrafish larvae in the dark cycle was significantly decreased in the 0.02 and 0.2 μg·L⁻¹ TBP groups (P<0.05), and similar results were found for the light cycle in the 0.2 and 2 μg·L⁻¹ TBP groups (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the T₃ level of zebrafish juveniles in the 0.2 μg·L⁻¹ TBP group increased significantly (P<0.05). The q-PCR results showed that the expression levels of HTP axis-related genes [thyroid hormone receptors (trα, \begin{document}$tr\beta $\end{document}), thyroglobulin (tg), and sodium/iodide co-transporter (nis)] were significantly down-regulated in the exposure groups, the expression level of transthyretin (ttr) was significantly up-regulated in the 0.02 μg·L⁻¹ TBP group, and the iodothyronine deiodinase 2 (dio2) expression level was significantly down-regulated in the 0.02 μg·L⁻¹ TBP group (P<0.05); the neurodevelopment-related gene acetylcholinesterase (ache) was significantly down-regulated in the exposure groups, and the expression levels of myelin basic protein (mbp) and Elav like neuron-specific RNA binding protein 3 (elavl3) were significantly down-regulated in the 0.02 μg·L⁻¹ TBP group (P<0.05). Conclusion TBP exposure can lead to early developmental abnormalities in zebrafish, manifested as developmental toxicity, thyroid endocrine disruption and neurotoxicity during hatching and early juvenile stages.

Objective:To explore the potential application of two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE) in terms of quantification and evaluating left and right atrial function in normal fetuses, and to investigate the relevant factors affecting left and right atrial function in normal fetuses as well as differences between both atrial function.Methods:A total of 100 single fetuses underwent fetal echocardiography in the Department of Diagnostic Ultrasound & Echocardiography, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University College of Medicine from January 2019 to October 2022 were retrospectively enrolled. The standard basal or apical four-chamber view clips were obtained, and the left and right atrial function were quantitatively analyzed using TomTec-ARENA off-line cardiac analysis software for quantitative assessment of both atrial strain measurements including left atrial reservoir phase longitudinal strain (LASr), left atrial ductal phase longitudinal strain (LAScd), left atrial systolic phase longitudinal strain (LASct), right atrial reservoir phase longitudinal strain (RASr), right atrial ductal phase longitudinal strain (RAScd), right atrial systolic phase longitudinal strain (RASct), and the ratio of systolic longitudinal strain to conduit longitudinal strain in left and right atrial systolic display groups were calculated which was denoted as Sct/Scd.Routine fetal obstetric ultrasound measurements and fetal echocardiographic parameters in the two groups were obtained including fetal heart rate (FHR), left atrial end-systolic length (LAESL), left atrial end-systolic diameter (LAESD), left atrial end-systolic area (LAESA), left ventricular end-diastolic transverse diameter (LVEDD), right atrial end-systolic length (RAESL), right atrial end-systolic diameter (RAESD), right atrial end-systolic area (RAESA), right ventricular end-diastolic transverse diameter (RVEDD), peak blood flow velocity of mitral valve and tricuspid valve in early and late diastolic period (E, A), peak ratio of E and A: E/A (MV), E/A (TV), and the difference between the left and right atrial strain indices and the routine fetal obstetric ultrasound and fetal echocardiographic parameters, as well as the correlation between the above parameters and gestational age were analyzed. The repeatability tests were performed using the intra-class correlation coefficientt (ICC).Results:Significant differences were found in LASr and RASr, LAScd and RAScd, LASct and LAScd, Sct/Scd between the left atrium and right atrium, E/A (MV) and E/A (TV), LAESD and RAESD, LAESL and RAESL (all P<0.05), there was significant difference in FHR between the left atrial contraction display group and the no atrial contraction display group ( P=0.011), no significant difference in other parameters (all P>0.05). Correlation analysis showed that, LASr, LASct, RASr, and RASct showed moderate negative correlation with gestational age ( rs=-0.570, -0.601, -0.469, -0.568; all P<0.001). While LAScd, RAScd, E/A (MV), E/A (TV) were moderately positively related with gestational age ( rs=0.310, 0.350, 0.330, 0.343; all P<0.05). LAESL, LAESD, LAESA, RAESL, RAESD, RAESA, LVEDD and RVEDD were significantly positively related with gestational age ( rs=0.662, 0.768, 0.792, 0.728, 0.828, 0.822, 0.838, 0.802, all P<0.001). The inter-examiner ICC of fetal LASr and RASr were 0.89 and 0.84 (both P<0.05) and the intra-examiner ICC of fetal RASr and LASr both were 0.80 (both P<0.05), with good consistency. Conclusions:2D-STE is highly feasible and reproducible in assessing fetal atrial function. The corresponding variation values of fetal atria at different gestational weeks were obtained in this study, which provides a new reference index for us to further study normal fetal atria as well as comparative analysis of fetal cardiac function under prenatal pathological conditions.