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.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been widely used in the treatment of various autoimmune and inflammation-related diseases due to their potent immunomodulatory properties. Several studies have demonstrated that MSC-mediated immunomodulation is complex and bidirectional, with the in vivo microenvironment influencing the direction of this modulation. Indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), an immunosuppressive factor, has been identified as a key "switch" in the immunomodulatory role of MSCs. In this review, we explore how IDO functions as a critical regulator of MSC immunoregulatory plasticity. We delve into the mechanisms by which changes in IDO expression affect the function of various immune cells, summarize relevant research and clinical advances regarding the role of IDO expression in MSC-based therapies for various diseases, and discuss potential therapeutic strategies that target IDO to enhance the stability of MSC therapeutic effects. This provides a theoretical foundation for optimizing MSCs as safer and more effective clinical therapeutic agents.

The paper summarizes the imaging evaluation methods for assessing the degree of carotid artery stenosis and analyzes the unique advantages and limitations of various imaging techniques in vascular imaging based on existing guidelines and consensus.The paper focuses on reviewing the clinical applications of several novel ultrasound technologies,including the use of advanced hemodynamic parameters such as blood flow dispersion(Tur index)and wall shear stress(WSS).Carotid artery stenosis is closely associated with cardiovascular disease.Although non-invasive and radiation-free ultrasound technology has certain limitations in diagnostic accuracy to a certain extent,with the continuous emergence of advanced functions such as ultrasound hemodynamics and vascular elasticity,the combination of multi-modality and multi-parameter ultrasound is expected to become an important method for efficient diagnosis of arterial stenosis in the future.

Objective:To discuss the differences in eosinophil(EOS)infiltration in cervical tissue and its relationship with cervical-related diseases,and to clarify the effect of EOS on the occurrence and development of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia(CIN)and cervical cancer.Methods:The clinical data of 256 patients with cervical diseases were collected and divided into cervical cancer group(n=46,including 26 cases of squamous cell carcinoma,15 cases of adenocarcinoma,and 5 cases of adenosquamous carcinoma),chronic cervicitis group(n=50),CIN stage Ⅰ group(n=50),CIN stage Ⅱ group(n=50),CIN stage Ⅲ group(n=30),and normal group(adjacent normal cervical tissue,n=30)based on their conditions.Colposcopy was used to observe the morphology of cervical tissue of the patients in various groups;thin-layer liquid-based cytology test(TCT)was used to observe the morphology of the cervical exfoliated cells in various groups;hybrid capture-chemiluminescence method was used to detect the human papillomavirus(HPV)infection in cervical tissue of the patients in various groups;HE staining was used to observe the pathomorphology of cervical tissue of the patients in various groups;Congo red staining was used to detect the numbers of EOS infiltration in cervical tissue of the patients in various groups;Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between the number of EOS infiltration and the malignancy degree of cervical cancer.Results:The cervical surface of the patients in normal group was smooth and pink,with uniformly distributed capillaries;the cervical surface of the patients in chronic cervicitis group showed red inflammatory changes,with some accompanied by Nabothian cysts and varying degrees of erosion and ulcers;the patients in CIN stage Ⅰ,CIN stage Ⅱ,and CIN stage Ⅲ groups showed epithelial ulcers,thickening,and irregular morphology,with mosaic and punctate vessels;the cervical surface of the patients in cervical cancer group showed raised areas with neoplasms and necrotic ulcers,and they were fragile and prone to bleeding.After acetic acid staining,no obvious changes of the patients in normal group were observed.The cervix of the patients in chronic cervicitis group showed slight white changes that lasted for a short time;in CIN stage Ⅰ,CIN stage Ⅱ,and CIN stage Ⅲ groups,irregular thin acetowhite epithelium with map-like borders was observed,with increasingly acetowhite reactions and larger areas as the stages advanced.The cervix of the patients in cervical cancer group showed thick acetowhite epithelium that lasted longer,with rigid and clear contours.After iodine staining,the cervix of the patients in normal group was brown,with uniform coloration;the cervix of the patients in chronic cervicitis group showed poor coloration in inflammatory lesion areas;the cervix of the patients in CIN stage Ⅰ group showed iodine coloration in metaplastic areas,while the cervix of the patients in CIN stage Ⅲ group showed poor coloration in larger lesion areas;the cervix of the patients in cervical cancer group showed irregular surfaces with cauliflower-like growth and no coloration after iodine staining,appearing orange-yellow or mustard yellow.The TCT observation results showed there were no heteromorphic cells and few inflammatory cells in cervical exfoliated cells of the patients in infiltration in normal group;there were numerous neutrophils and EOS in exfoliated cervical cells without heteromorphic cells in chronic cervicitis group.The heteromorphic binucleated cells with high nuclear-cytoplasmic ratios and deeply stained nuclei were observed in cervical exfoliated cells of the patients in CIN stage Ⅰ and CIN stage Ⅱ groups.More heteromorphic cells with high nuclear-cytoplasmic ratios and irregular nuclear membranes were showed in cervical exfoliated cells of the patients in CIN stage Ⅲ group.The cervical exfoliated cells of the patients in cervical cancer group showed large and prominent nucleoli,clustering into syncytial changes.Compared with normal group,the atypial of cervical exfoliated cells in CIN stage Ⅰ,CIN stage Ⅱ,CIN stage Ⅲ,and cervical cancer groups was increased.The hybrid capture-chemiluminescence results showed that compared with normal and chronic cervicitis groups,the numbers of HPV infection and TCT heteromorphic cells of the patients in CIN stage Ⅰ,CIN stage Ⅱ,and CIN stage Ⅲ groups were increased(P<0.05);compared with CIN stage Ⅰ,CIN stage Ⅱ,and CIN stage Ⅲ groups,the numbers of HPV infection and TCT heteromorphic cells of the patients in cervical cancer group were increased(P<0.05).The HE staining results showed normal cell morphology and structure in normal group,with infiltration of inflammation cells such as neutrophils,monocytes,macrophages,EOS,and lymphocytes;in chronic cervicitis group,the infiltration of inflammatory cells was increased;in CIN group,the cervical cells showed slightly larger nucleoli and heteromorphic cells,with inflammatory cells mainly distributing around the hetermomorphic cells;in cervical cancer group,the cervical cells showed large and deeply stained nucleoli with significant atypia,and the infiltration of inflammatory cells around the cancer cells was increased.Compared with normal group,the numbers of inflammatory cells and EOS infiltration in cervical tissue of the patients in chronic cervicitis group were increased(P<0.05),and the numbers of inflammatory cells and EOS infiltration of the patients in CIN group were increased(P<0.05);compared with chronic cervicitis group,the number of inflammatory cells and EOS infiltration of the patients in CIN group were decreased(P<0.05);compared with chronic cervicitis group and CIN group,the numbers of inflammatory cells and EOS infiltration of the patients in cervical cancer group were increased(P<0.05).The EOS in cervical cancer tissue was mainly distributed around the cancer nests;compared with CIN stage Ⅰ group,the numbers of EOS infiltration in CIN stage Ⅱ and CIN stage Ⅲ groups were increased(P<0.05);compared with CIN stage Ⅱ group,the number of EOS infiltration in CIN stage Ⅲ group was increased(P<0.05).The higher the malignancy degree of the tumor,the more EOS infiltration was observed,and the number of EOS infiltration was positively correlated with the invasion depth of cervical cancer(r=0.533 0,P<0.01).Conclusion:HPV infection and EOS infiltration play a role in promoting the and occurrence development of cervical precancerous lesions and cervical cancer.

Objective:To investigate the correlation between digital breast tomosynthesis(DBT)image features,pathological features,and the results of breast-conserving surgery(BCS)in early stage breast cancer.Methods:We retrospectively analyzed 422 cases of BCS resulting in successful breast preservation and 211 BCS cases that were followed by mastectomy.All of the patients underwent surgery at Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute&Hospital between January 2019 and December 2023.Preoperative DBT images and clinicopathological features were assessed.A univariate Logistic regression analysis was performed to screen out the characteristics associated with BCS surgic-al results,after which multivariate Logistic regression analysis was performed to screen out the characteristics.Results:Univariate Logistic regression analysis showed that age(P=0.020),architectural distortion(P<0.001),breast composition(extremely dense,P=0.001),and mo-lecular subtype(Her2,P=0.001)were statistically different between the two groups.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that ar-chitectural distortion(P<0.001),breast composition(extremely dense breast,P=0.003),and molecular subtype(Her2,P<0.001)differed signi-ficantly between the two groups.Conclusions:Breast composition,architectural distortion,and molecular subtype correlated with BCS res-ults.Extremely dense breast composition,architectural distortion,and Her2 subtype are associated with a higher possibility of conversion to mastectomy.These factors serve as effective predictive indicators of BCS results and thus aid clinicians in deciding the appropriate surgical strategies in the treatment of breast cancer.

ObjectiveTo explore the effect of Anmeidan on the sleep quality and serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor （BDNF）， glial fibrillary acidic protein （GFAP）， and irisin in the patients with chronic insomnia. MethodA multicenter， randomized， double-blind， placebo-controlled clinical study was carried out， including 480 patients with chronic insomnia （deficiency syndrome） in Wuhan （Hubei）， Guangzhou （Guangdong）， and Lanzhou （Gansu）. They were randomized into an observation group and a control group at a ratio of 1∶1. The observation group was orally administered with Anmeidan granules at a dose of 11 g， 3 times per day， and the control group with Anmeidan simulant at a dose of 11 g， 3 times per day， Both groups of patients received sleep education after enrollment. After 4 weeks of medication， the Athens insomnia scale （AIS） scores， Spiegel scale scores， and serum levels of BDNF， GFAP， and irisin were compared between the two groups as well as between before and after treatment. ResultA total of 480 adult patients with chronic insomnia were enrolled in this study， with 64 patients falled off. Finally， the 415 patients were included in the analysis， including 213 patients in the observation group and 202 patients in the control group. There was no difference in age or sex between the two groups of patients. Compared with before treatment， the treatment in both groups decreased the AIS and Spiegel scores （P<0.01）. After treatment， the observation group had lower AIS and Spiegel scores than the control group （P<0.01）. The treatment in the observation group slightly lowered the level of BDNF， elevated the level of irisin （P<0.05）， and lowered the level of GFAP （P<0.05） in the serum. After treatment， the observation group showed higher level of irisin （P<0.05） and lower levels of BDNF and GFAP in the serum than the control group. ConclusionAnmeidan may improve the sleep quality of patients with chronic insomnia by elevating the irisin level and lowering the GFAP level in the serum.

Plastics are one of the most important polymers with huge global demand. However, the downsides of this polymer are that it is difficult to degrade, which causes huge pollution. The environmental-friendly bio-degradable plastics therefore could be an alternative and eventually fulfill the ever-growing demand from every aspect of the society. One of the building blocks of bio-degradable plastics is dicarboxylic acids, which have excellent biodegradability and numerous industrial applications. More importantly, dicarboxylic acid can be biologically synthesized. Herein, this review discusses the recent advance on the biosynthesis routes and metabolic engineering strategies of some of the typical dicarboxylic acids, in hope that it will help to provide inspiration to further efforts on the biosynthesis of dicarboxylic acids.
Biodegradable Plastics ; Dicarboxylic Acids ; Polymers/metabolism* ; Biodegradation, Environmental ; Metabolic Engineering

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics of patients with spontaneous low intracranial pressure (SIH).Methods:The study is a retrospective series. The clinical data of patients with SIH who visited Beijing Hospital from May 2017 to March 2022, including gender, age, symptoms, signs, imaging findings, treatment and outcome, were collected and their clinical characteristics were analyzed.Results:Finally, 8 patients with SIH, 6 females and 2 males, aged (33.5±7.3) years, were included. There were 6 cases of acute onset, 1 case of subacute onset, and 1 case of chronic onset. Four cases had pre-onset triggers, 3 cases were exertional and 1 case was exercise. All 8 cases had orthostatic headache. Three cases were accompanied by neck pain. Six cases were accompanied by autonomic dysfunction, 1 case with blurred vision and neck resistance, and 1 case with tinnitus in both ears. There were no obvious abnormalities in blood routine, liver and kidney function, electrolytes, and coagulation function in 8 cases. The results of the lumbar puncture showed that the cerebrospinal fluid pressure was≤60 mmH 2O(1 mmH 2O=0.009 8 kPa) in 7 cases, and 2 cases were so low that they were undetectable. One patient had normal cerebrospinal fluid pressure (90 mmH 2O). The routine results of cerebrospinal fluid showed 4 cases of an increased number of red blood cells and 2 cases of leukocytosis. The biochemical results of cerebrospinal fluid in all 8 cases were normal. All 8 patients underwent non-contrast MRI scan of the head, and 6 cases found abnormalities, including 2 cases of subdural hematoma, 1 case of subarachnoid hemorrhage, 1 case of brain tissue sinking, and 3 cases of intracranial venous sinus dilation (including 1 case with subdural hematoma). All 8 patients underwent MRI enhancement scan of the head, and 5 patients showed diffuse dural enhancement. Three patients underwent digital subtraction angiography myelogram and computed tomography myelogram, and 2 cases found dural cerebrospinal fluid leakage. One patient underwent magnetic resonance water imaging and no cerebrospinal fluid leakage was found. Eight patients were followed up for 38.5 (10.3, 63.0) months, after conservative treatment, 6 cases of headache relief or disappearance, 1 case relapsed and was admitted 1 week after discharge, non-targeted epidural blood patching (EBP) did not relapse, 1 case underwent non-targeted EBP after conservative treatment failure, headache relief, recurrence after 2 months, thoracic spine 3-4 space targeted EBP, headache disappeared, did not recur. Conclusions:The present study indicate that SIH prevalence in young age is common, the main symptom is orthostatic headache, accommodated with multiple clinical symptoms with various imaging abnormalities. Most patients with SIH can be treated conservatively, if the effect is not good, non-targeted or targeted EBP is feasible.

Objective:To investigate the characteristics of bacterial community in upper gastrointestinal tumors.Methods:The study population was patients with upper gastrointestinal tumors (esophageal cancer and gastric cancer). Gastroscopy was performed on the enrolled patients ( n=17), and the specimens were taken from the tumor sites. At the same time, non-tumor tissues more than 4 cm away from the tumor tissues were taken as the control. After total DNA was extracted and purified, high-throughput 16S DNA gene sequencing was used to detect the microbiota in tumor tissues and control tissues. Bioinformatics analysis was carried out and the differences between groups were compared. Results:16S DNA PCR showed that there was no significant difference in bacterial load between tumor tissues and control tissues. The α-diversity and β-diversity indexes showed that the community composition of the two groups was similar; the samples were discrete and the colony composition was different, but there was no significant difference between the two groups. The results of Venn diagram showed that there were more operational taxonomic units (OTUs) in non-tumor tissues than in tumor tissues (2 068 vs 1 358), indicating that the bacterial species in normal tissues were more abundant than those in tumor tissues. Compared with the control tissues, the percentages of Prevotellaceae ( Prevotella), Lactobacaceae ( Lactobacillus) and Fusobacteriaceae ( Fusobacterium) in tumor tissues were relatively higher (the average percentage was more than twice that of the control). Further paired comparison of the top ten bacteria in the family and genus abundance of the two groups of samples showed that Pseudomonas decreased significantly in tumor tissues at the family ( P=0.041) and genus ( P=0.041) levels, while Prevotella was significantly enriched in tumor tissues at the family ( P=0.031) and genus ( P=0.007) levels. Conclusions:The bacterial community in the tumor microenvironment of the upper gastrointestinal tumor changed, and the species enriched in the tumor site were mainly oral common anaerobic bacteria, such as Prevotellaceae ( Prevotella), Lactobacaceae ( Lactobacillus) and Fusobacteriaceae ( Fusobacterium), especially Prevotellaceae ( Prevotella).

The "2022 AHA/ACC/HFSA guideline for the management of heart failure" replaces the "2013 ACCF/AHA guideline for the management of heart failure" and the "2017 ACC/AHA/HFSA focused update of the 2013 ACCF/AHA guideline for the management of heart failure". The 2022 guideline is intended to provide patient-centric recommendations for clinicians to prevent, diagnose and manage patients with heart failure. Heart failure remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally. The 2022 heart failure guideline provides recommendations based on contemporary evidence for the treatment of these patients. The recommendations present an evidence-based approach to manage patients with heart failure, with the intent to improve quality of care and align with patients’ interests. New recommendations have been created when supported by published data. Value statements are provided for certain treatments with high-quality published economic analyses. This article summarized and interpreted the new concept of heart failure in 2022 guidelines, especially the new evidence and suggestions related to cardiac surgery.