Macular hole is an age-related disorder defined by a full-thickness defect of the foveal retina and a profound loss of central vision. First described in the mid-19th century, its study has now extended across more than 150 years. Breakthroughs in science and technology—especially the relentless refinement of retinal imaging platforms—have progressively refined our understanding of the disease. Optical coherence tomography(OCT)in particular has revolutionized characterization of the condition. At the same time, the widespread adoption of macular hole surgery has not only driven deeper investigations into pathogenesis and pre-operative assessment but also facilitated the global dissemination of surgical expertise and a marked rise in anatomical success. This review synthesizes the multimodal imaging hallmarks of macular holes and highlights the remaining clinical challenges in the application of OCT technology.

ObjectiveBased on functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), we investigated the brain activity characteristics of gross motor tasks in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and motor dysfunctions (MDs) to provide a theoretical basis for further understanding the mechanism of MDs in children with ASD and designing targeted intervention programs from a central perspective. MethodsAccording to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 48 children with ASD accompanied by MDs were recruited into the ASD group and 40 children with typically developing (TD) into the TD group. The fNIRS device was used to collect the information of blood oxygen changes in the cortical motor-related brain regions during single-handed bag throwing and tiptoe walking, and the differences in brain activation and functional connectivity between the two groups of children were analyzed from the perspective of brain activation and functional connectivity. ResultsCompared to the TD group, in the object manipulative motor task (one-handed bag throwing), the ASD group showed significantly reduced activation in both left sensorimotor cortex (SMC) and right secondary visual cortex (V2) (P<0.05), whereas the right pre-motor and supplementary motor cortex (PMC&SMA) had significantly higher activation (P<0.01) and showed bilateral brain region activity; in terms of brain functional integration, there was a significant decrease in the strength of brain functional connectivity (P<0.05) and was mainly associated with dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and V2. In the body stability motor task (tiptoe walking), the ASD group had significantly higher activation in motor-related brain regions such as the DLPFC, SMC, and PMC&SMA (P<0.05) and showed bilateral brain region activity; in terms of brain functional integration, the ASD group had lower strength of brain functional connectivity (P<0.05) and was mainly associated with PMC&SMA and V2. ConclusionChildren with ASD exhibit abnormal brain functional activity characteristics specific to different gross motor tasks in object manipulative and body stability, reflecting insufficient or excessive compensatory activation of local brain regions and impaired cross-regions integration, which may be a potential reason for the poorer gross motor performance of children with ASD, and meanwhile provides data support for further unraveling the mechanisms underlying the occurrence of MDs in the context of ASD and designing targeted intervention programs from a central perspective.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is one of the most common diseases in elderly men, the incidence of which gradually increases with age and leads to lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), which seriously affects the quality of life of patients. Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) are widely used for the treatment of BPH in China and some other countries. To explore the molecular mechanisms of CHMs for BPH, we conducted a review based on peer-reviewed English-language publications in PubMed and Web of Science databases from inception to December 31, 2023. This article primarily reviewed 32 papers on the use of CHMs and its active compounds in the treatment of BPH, covering animal and cell experiments, and identified relevant mechanisms of action. The results suggest that the mechanisms of action of CHMs in treating BPH may involve the regulation of sex hormones, downregulation of cell growth factors, anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects, inhibition of cell proliferation, and promotion of apoptosis. CHMs also exhibit α-blocker-like effects, with the potential to relax urethral smooth muscle and alleviate LUTS. Additionally, we also reviewed 4 clinical trials and meta-analyses of CHMs for the treatment of BPH patients, which provided initial evidence of the safety and effectiveness of CHMs treatment. CHMs treatment for BPH shows advantages as a multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway therapy, which can mitigate the severity of the disease, improve LUTS, and may become a reliable treatment option in the future.
Prostatic Hyperplasia/drug therapy* ; Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Male ; Animals

Cemental tear is a rare and indetectable condition unless obvious clinical signs present with the involvement of surrounding periodontal and periapical tissues. Due to its clinical manifestations similar to common dental issues, such as vertical root fracture, primary endodontic diseases, and periodontal diseases, as well as the low awareness of cemental tear for clinicians, misdiagnosis often occurs. The critical principle for cemental tear treatment is to remove torn fragments, and overlooking fragments leads to futile therapy, which could deteriorate the conditions of the affected teeth. Therefore, accurate diagnosis and subsequent appropriate interventions are vital for managing cemental tear. Novel diagnostic tools, including cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), microscopes, and enamel matrix derivatives, have improved early detection and management, enhancing tooth retention. The implementation of standardized diagnostic criteria and treatment protocols, combined with improved clinical awareness among dental professionals, serves to mitigate risks of diagnostic errors and suboptimal therapeutic interventions. This expert consensus reviewed the epidemiology, pathogenesis, potential predisposing factors, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of cemental tear, aiming to provide a clinical guideline and facilitate clinicians to have a better understanding of cemental tear.
Humans ; Dental Cementum/injuries* ; Consensus ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography ; Tooth Fractures/therapy*

The retinal neurovascular unit (NVU) is an interdependent system comprising neurons, glial cells (macroglia and microglia), and the vascular structure, entrusted with the preservation of retinal homeostasis.It plays a key role in eye diseases such as diabetic retinopathy.Cell communication forms a pivotal conduit for interaction within the NVU, encompassing both direct communication predominantly through gap junctions and cell surface receptors, as well as indirect communication via secreted intercellular soluble factors.As resident immune cells in the retina, microglia orchestrate activities between neural and vascular tissues through intercellular communication to maintain physiological and pathological functions of the retina.This review explores the multiple impact of retinal microglia on retinal ganglion cells, the inflammatory positive feedback loop involving retinal microglia and Müller cells, the modulation of angiogenesis, capillary constriction/dilation, and the role of microglia in maintaining the blood-retinal barrier within the retina in concert with pericytes.The potential influence of microglia within the neurovascular unit is also investigated.

AIM:To evaluate the relationship between dry eye disease(DED)and physical and mental health in teachers, and to explore its mechanism and propose intervention measures.METHODS:Cross-sectional study. A total of 183 teachers from three primary and secondary schools in the urban area of Linyi City, Shandong Province were enrolled in the study. DED symptoms were quantified using the ocular surface disease index(OSDI)questionnaire. A compact version of the depression, anxiety, and stress scale(DASS-21)was used to evaluate psychological state. The relationship between potential influencing factors and DED was evaluated by independent sample t-test of quantitative variables and χ2test of classified variables. Logistic regression analysis was used for multivariate analysis to determine the influencing factors of DED. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to analyze the correlation between OSDI score and depression, anxiety and stress.RESULTS: There were 183 teachers, including 44 males(24.0%)and 139 females(76.0%), aged from 22 to 57 years, with an average age of(34.2±8.6)years. The prevalence of DED was 60.0%(109/183; 95%CI 52.4%-66.7%). The prevalence of depression was 26.2%(48/183; 95%CI 19.8%-32.7%); anxiety prevalence was 39.3%(72/183; 95%CI 32.2%-46.5%); and stress prevalence was 23.0%(42/183; 95%CI 16.8%-29.1%). The univariate analysis showed that increased age, increased working years, increased visual display terminal(VDT)application time, longer written working hours, reduced sleep hours, less alcohol consumption, and high scores of depression, anxiety and stress were all factors affecting DED(all P<0.05). Using depression scores as the psychological index, multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that years of work, VDT application time, written working hours, sleep time, alcohol consumption and depression score were the influencing factors of DED(all P<0.05); Using anxiety scores as the psychological index, multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that years of work, VDT application time, written working hours and stress scores were the influencing factors of DED(all P<0.05); Using stress scores as the psychological index, multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that years of work, VDT application time, written working hours and stress scores were the influencing factors of DED(all P<0.05). OSDI scores were positively correlated with depression, anxiety, and stress scores in the DED group(P<0.05)and across all participants(P<0.05). In the severe DED group, OSDI scores were positively related to depression, anxiety, and stress scores(P<0.05).CONCLUSION: The prevalence of DED is high among the teachers. Alcohol consumption, reduced sleep, longer working years, longer VDT usage and longer written working hours are the influencing factors of DED. In severe DED group, DED is highly correlated with depression, anxiety, and stress. We should pay attention to teachers' DED and related physical and mental health problems, and actively prevent and make early diagnosis and treatment.

The modernization and development of traditional Chinese medicine has led to higher standards for the quality of traditional Chinese medicine products. The extraction process is a crucial component of traditional Chinese medicine production, and it directly impacts the final quality of the product. However, the currently relied upon methods for quality assurance of the extraction process, such as simple wet chemical analysis, have several limitations, including time consumption and labor intensity, and do not offer precise control of the extraction process. As a result, there is significant value in incorporating near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in the production process of traditional Chinese medicine to improve the quality control of the final products. In this study, we focused on the extraction process of Xiao'er Xiaoji Zhike oral liquid (XXZOL), using near-infrared spectra collected by both a Fourier transform near-infrared spectrometer and a portable near-infrared spectrometer. We used the concentration of synephrine, a quality control index component specified by the pharmacopoeia, to achieve rapid and accurate detection in the extraction process. Moreover, we developed a model transfer method to facilitate the transfer of models between the two types of near-infrared spectrometers (analytical grade and portable), thus resolving the low resolution, poor performance, and insufficient prediction accuracy issues of portable instruments. Our findings enable the rapid screening and quality analysis of XXZOL onsite, which is significant for quality monitoring during the traditional Chinese medicine production process.

Two cases of epidemic situation of serogroup B meningitis in infants in Shandong Province in 2021 were investigated. Samples of cases and their close contacts were collected for isolation, culture and identification of Neisseria meningitides (Nm). The isolates were subjected to multi-locus sequence typing, outer membrane protein porA and fetA genotyping and drug sensitivity test. Two laboratory-confirmed outbreaks of serogroup B meningitis were reported from Yantai city and Linyi city. The indicated cases were infants aged 5 months and 2 months old respectively. They were not vaccinated with meningitis vaccine. Their epidemiological characteristics and clinical manifestations were similar and the prognosis was good. The same sequence type (ST) of serogroup B Nm strains as the indicated cases was detected in the samples of close family contacts, but without subsequent cases. Among them, Yantai strain was were identified as the type ST-8920, belonging to CC4821 clonal complex, and the genotypes of porA and fetA were p1.21-2, 23 and F3-1. Linyi strain was a new type, belonging to CC4821 clonal complex and the genotypes of porA and fetA were p1.20, 23 and F1-91. The above strains were resistant to penicillin, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin and Chemitrim, and their sensitivity to cephalosporin decreased. Two cases of infant serogroup B epidemic were relatively rare in China, which were different from the epidemiological and pathogenic characteristics of other Nm serogroups in the past.
Epidemics ; Humans ; Infant ; Meningitis, Meningococcal/epidemiology* ; Multilocus Sequence Typing ; Neisseria meningitidis ; Serogroup

Objective: To explore the heterogeneity and correlation of clinical phenotypes and genotypes in children with disorders of sex development (DSD). Methods: A retrospective study of 1 235 patients with clinically proposed DSD in 36 pediatric medical institutions across the country from January 2017 to May 2021. After capturing 277 DSD-related candidate genes, second-generation sequencing was performed to analyzed the heterogeneity and correlation combined with clinical phenotypes. Results: Among 1 235 children with clinically proposed DSD, 980 were males and 255 were females of social gender at the time of initial diagnosis with the age ranged from 1 day of age to 17.92 years. A total of 443 children with pathogenic variants were detected through molecular genetic studies, with a positive detection rate of 35.9%. The most common clinical phenotypes were micropenis (455 cases), hypospadias (321 cases), and cryptorchidism (172 cases) and common mutations detected were in SRD5A2 gene (80 cases), AR gene (53 cases) and CYP21A2 gene (44 cases). Among them, the SRD5A2 mutation is the most common in children with simple micropenis and simple hypospadias, while the AMH mutation is the most common in children with simple cryptorchidism. Conclusions: The SRD5A2 mutation is the most common genetic variant in Chinese children with DSD, and micropenis, cryptorchidism, and hypospadias are the most common clinical phenotypes. Molecular diagnosis can provide clues about the biological basis of DSD, and can also guide clinicians to perform specific clinical examinations. Target sequence capture probes and next-generation sequencing technology can provide effective and economical genetic diagnosis for children with DSD.
3-Oxo-5-alpha-Steroid 4-Dehydrogenase/genetics* ; Child ; China/epidemiology* ; Cryptorchidism/genetics* ; Disorders of Sex Development/genetics* ; Female ; Genital Diseases, Male ; Genotype ; Humans ; Hypospadias/genetics* ; Male ; Membrane Proteins/genetics* ; Penis/abnormalities* ; Phenotype ; Retrospective Studies ; Steroid 21-Hydroxylase/genetics*

METHODS: From January 2005 to December 2013, 83 patients with refractory/recurrent CD20 RESULTS: All the patient achieved complete response. The median follow.up time was 39 months. Both the two groups collected peripheral blood stem cells successfully, and had no difference in hematopoietic reconstitution time. Three patients in treatment group and six patients in control group relapsed and the three year overall survival and EFS in treatment group was significantly higher than that in control group, that is（93.0% vs 73.1%, P=0.037） and （89.5% vs 65.4%, P=0.034）, respectively. Subgroup analysis showed that: compared with the treatment group in which using R in the whole courses(before and after transplantation, and collection of stem cells) was superior to the control group in both OS and EFS, with the OS 97% vs 87.5% (P>0.05) and EFS 97% vs 76.2% (P=0.05) respectively. While stratified by the different courses of rituximab, the OS was 88.9% (1-2 courses, 9 cases), 93.1% (3-4 courses, 29 cases), 94.7%(more than 5 courses,19 cases), and EFS was 77.8%, 89.7% and 94.7%, respectively. CONCLUSION For the patients with refractory/recurrent CD20
Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; Disease-Free Survival ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Hodgkin Disease ; Humans ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin/drug therapy* ; Rituximab/therapeutic use* ; Transplantation, Autologous ; Treatment Outcome